How should I respond if a man I’m meeting for the first time asks, “How many guys have there been before me?” or “What ages were the men you’ve met so far, and what kind of dates did you go on?”

I’m Saito, a columnist ♪ Just repeat what they say and ask them.

I’m a BB7 male member. I tend to casually ask women I’m making a first offer to about this. I’m simply curious—there’s no deeper meaning behind it. If they answer, “20!” or “30!” I get really interested in hearing about the experiences they’ve had. On the other hand, if someone has been registered for a long time and seems popular but says “one” or “two,” I wonder why they’d lie so easily, and I don’t really trust them after that. Conversely, my impression improves when someone says, “You’re number 23!” But I think people like me are in the minority. I just wanted to say that there are also men who ask simply as a conversation starter or out of curiosity.

Maezawa from the Corporate Planning Office here as well. If a man you’re meeting for the first time asks, “How many men have you gone on dates with before me?”—generally, the fewer, the better it comes across. That said, if you say zero, he may think, “That can’t be true,” and feel that you’re not being very honest. So I feel that saying around three is probably just about right. Of course, if he really is your first, you should simply answer honestly. This only applies if you’ve gone on dates with ten or more men. This is also why, even if a man asks how many dates a woman has had, the club won’t provide that information—even when the club itself is asked. (笑) Some men will press us, saying, “Fine, but can’t you at least tell me whether it’s a lot or a little?” Technically, we shouldn’t answer that either, but depending on the branch, the manager may decide that it’s okay to disclose the number since we’re not giving an exact figure. Even then, suppose the branch says, “She’s had a lot of dates,” and the woman says she’s dated three men. There’s no contradiction, since three itself can be considered a lot. And even if someone complains, saying, “I was told it was a lot, but she said it was only three,” we can simply respond, “Wouldn’t dating three men count as a lot?” (The standard for what counts as “a lot” or “a little” varies from person to person, and fundamentally, we don’t disclose either way.)

I’m a male member from Seattle. It can be a good conversation starter when you first meet, so why not just be honest about it? I’m honest about my current situation too.