<Welcome to the Marriage Information Company> Is Real Marriage Possible? [9]

Fate

The official success rate of blind dates is said to be 2%.

Behind this incredibly low success rate lies the impact of first impressions.

The first impression a person gets within the first 3 seconds of meeting someone tends to linger for a surprisingly long time.

Even if you're not exceptionally handsome or beautiful, a neat, clean, and good style is advantageous.

That brief moment of exchanging greetings, "Hello," has a greater impact than you might think.

The man sitting in front of me now also made a good first impression.

Two years had passed since I ended my last relationship, and I was still single.

I was busy with work, and there were more important things than dating. So, I wasn't particularly lonely.

“How old are you this year?”

My close older sister suddenly called and asked me my age.

“Thirty-six. Why are you suddenly asking about my age?”

“Someone I know asked me if I knew any nice girls, and I suddenly thought of you. You're the same age as him.

He's not an office worker, but it seems like he helps his father with the family business, and they're apparently quite wealthy.”

There was no reason to refuse.

After turning thirty-five, it's not very common for a woman to be open to meeting a man who isn't younger than her, but to meet someone her own age.

Dressed neatly in semi-casual attire, his first impression was quite charming.

He had many differences and similarities with me, but the more I met him, the more I realized that he "didn't have any major flaws."

The fact that he didn't get caught in my radar, which was always searching for flaws, was a remarkable feat.

I recalled my past relationships where I overthought things and ended up making mistakes.

I decided I should just take things slowly and date him without overthinking.

After a few dates, we went to the movies together one day.

As we were getting tickets from the kiosk machine, a birthday coupon was printed along with the tickets.

“It's your birthday?!”

“Actually, my birthday is next week. It felt a bit awkward to mention it so soon after we met, so I didn't say anything. I didn't expect it to be revealed like this.”

“I was planning to ask you eventually.”

“When is your birthday?”

“Mine? I celebrate it according to the lunar calendar, but I can't quite remember when it is this year.”

He looked at his phone's calendar and suddenly let out a surprised exclamation, filled with excitement.

“Wait, our birthdays are on the same day this year!”

“Really?”

“It's true, look! Isn't it amazing?”

“It's such a coincidence.”

When you're in the '썸' (썸: a stage between being friends and dating) phase, you develop this ability to sense the flow of things, like whether it's going to fizzle out or lead to a confession.

I can confidently say that this time, it was heading towards a confession.

A week later, on his birthday, we decided to spend time with our families and meet up in the evening.

As the sun began to set, he came to pick me up at my house, dressed in a suit for the first time, and handed me a bouquet of flowers.

“So, where are we going?”

“It's a secret.”

He drove me to the 63 Building in Yeouido. He took my hand and led me towards the elevator.

The scenario I had secretly hoped for was unfolding before my eyes.

Who knew I'd ever have a luxurious dinner with a view of the city lights from a high-rise restaurant like this?

I was already overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude, but then he presented me with a small, sparkling gift with dessert.

“I wanted to give you a ring, but I thought you might feel too pressured by that. Will you accept this?”

This was unfair. My Starbucks gift card, which I had given as a present, felt incredibly awkward in comparison.

I should have at least gone to a department store.

“Will you go out with me?”

A scene straight out of a drama was playing out, and there was no point in deliberating any further. I'd take it, even if it meant I couldn't afford it.

He called it fate.

He said he had stubbornly refused all the blind dates his mother set up for him, but this time, he decided to just go for it.

He said he was almost breathless when his ideal type appeared.

And then, the fact that our birthdays were on the same day made it impossible to explain without calling it fate.

It wasn't a blazing, passionate love, but there was a warm, gentle excitement. I thought, this must be love.

On the day he came home with a bouquet of flowers, my family erupted in cheers, finally believing that their youngest daughter would be getting married.

“Mother-in-law, isn't there good news coming next spring?”

My sister and brother-in-law were so excited about my relationship that they even got my parents excited.

Am I really getting married?