I’m a male member.

I’m Meg, a female member. We’re both married. He even gave me his business card from the very beginning. I haven’t told him my real name or anything else about myself… Yes, I’m sorry… I just want him to let me keep dreaming…

Maezawa from the president’s office here, answering as well. Ideally, I think you should properly disclose information such as whether you’re married. However, if the other person’s wife discovers the affair, she will usually seek compensation from the affair partner rather than from her husband. (She can claim against her husband too, but since they share the same household finances, perhaps there’s little benefit in doing so?) In that situation, whether or not you knew the person was married becomes important. Apparently, simply saying that you didn’t know isn’t enough. For example, you may need to show that you asked them and they told you they weren’t married, or meet other requirements in court. If you meet those requirements and genuinely didn’t know, you may be able to avoid paying. But if you did know, you may end up having to pay the amount being claimed. Of course, I don’t think either of them would voluntarily reveal it, but the wife may also hire a private investigator to look into things. When you think about it that way, knowing they’re married creates a risk. So, to prepare for that risk, it might be necessary to take precautions, such as having them give you a written statement saying, “I am single.” If I write it that way, people might accuse me of aiding infidelity or encouraging forgery of a private document. What I mean is that single people should keep a written statement saying that they are single. Though that doesn’t really fit the context.（笑）

I’m Rin, a female member. People generally talk openly. Ideally, both sides should have at least a rough understanding of each other’s circumstances and be able to share a comfortable time together, don’t you think? They talk about their wives and children, and I talk about my husband and kids as well. Compared with men, married women probably have more things to prepare before going out—housework, meals, and so on—so they’re often considerate of that. As for men’s silly lies and slips of the tongue, I’m not so naive that I’ll believe them simply because it suits them. They’re not worth the time and effort of calling out or overthinking, so I just let them slide. As Romane-sama also mentioned, someone who has experienced loving and being loved by another person, with the wish to stay together for life, does provide a certain sense of reassurance. Lies can sometimes be necessary, but more often than not, they simply reveal how narrow-minded someone is. Personally, I think it’s better not to lie whenever possible.

I’m Gaku, a male member. I’m married, but if I’m asked, I answer honestly. If no one asks, I don’t bring it up myself. I don’t usually wear my wedding ring, so a lot of women ask about it. I take it off for work, and after nearly losing it several times, I’ve kept it at home for over 20 years. But I think they’re mostly asking to confirm whether they need to be wary of a middle-aged man who’s single—someone who might become a stalker or develop an intense crush. The old image of men at dating clubs was that most were married or divorced, and that they had a hard time attracting women without using their money. Since these clubs started marketing themselves with the lighter image of papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan), I feel like more men have joined who aren’t incapable of getting married, but simply haven’t chosen to—men who believe they’d still be popular even without money. The women who end up in long-term relationships usually share almost everything with each other over time. It’s easier when there are fewer lies, and I don’t think women really care whether a man is married or single.

I’m It’s Me, a male member. In my case, I tell women right from the initial introduction: “I’m married.” I even keep my wedding ring on. Of course I want women to like me, and I want to look good too. But honestly, at my age, I have no desire to pretend I’m single or try to look cool by telling an easily exposed lie. I don’t think being married is uncool, and no one has ever asked me, “Why are you involved in club activities if you’re married?” If they did ask, I’d answer honestly—even if it might be awkward. I won’t say here what I’d answer, though. lol I’m involved in club activities to enjoy myself. Telling a lie about something that isn’t even a priority for me would only be exhausting, and I wouldn’t enjoy it at all. Even if I claimed to be single, contradictions would inevitably pop up somewhere. A perceptive woman would see through the lie immediately. And taking off your ring just for one occasion can actually make the mark stand out even more. I don’t want to become “the sad guy forcing himself to lie.” That’s even less cool. If the woman I’m seeing says she doesn’t want to be involved with a married man, then it’s better for both of us to be grateful that we discovered the mismatch early and move on to the next opportunity. Besides, I don’t meet women who I think would be put off by the fact that I’m married. Fortunately, I haven’t misread anyone on that point so far. Pretending to be single doesn’t change the truth, so you can’t avoid the risk. Actually, you could look at it this way: coming clean about being married helps hedge against the risk of things developing into a serious romantic relationship. I believe the right answer is to interpret things in a way that works for you and enjoy yourself. Besides, women usually see through men’s clumsy lies anyway—and they don’t necessarily tell you, “I know you’re lying.” I’d like to think I’ve learned a lot from my experiences over the years. That’s why I save my all-out focus for situations where I absolutely cannot afford to be caught in a lie. lol I don’t want to waste my energy lying about something like this. That’s how I honestly feel.

I’m Paper Airplane, a male member. Women will often convince themselves that they come to me because their wives treat them terribly, that I comfort them, that they dislike their wives, and that they’re loved more by me. That’s what they want to believe… Men, meanwhile, can be happily in love with their wives, which gives them the emotional leeway to get along with other women. And if things are going well with one woman, they’ll naturally be popular with others too… Women will rearrange things in whatever way suits them, even without being told anything, so I don’t think there’s much need to hide the fact that you’re married or already have a girlfriend. I think you just need to go along with their imaginings and fantasies in a vague, noncommittal way. Often, women don’t care at all about the things men think or worry about, so there’s probably no need to overthink the conversation. And even if you let something slip that might sound a little inappropriate, women have a special ability to interpret it in whatever way suits them and believe that interpretation completely. So there’s usually no need to worry much. If you simply let yourself be guided by a woman’s words, actions, and manner, she’ll probably come up with a reaction and interpretation that makes her happy all on her own. If you react and take action from your side, you may only unsettle her and end up digging yourself into a hole… That’s not the answer women are really looking for. Women already have the answer they want prepared… Men don’t need to answer at all… Women are dreamers… Men can see nothing but the answer.

I’m Flag Maker, a column writer. I mean, it’s not like I lied and said I was single, lol. If I’m asked, I do tell them I’m married. There have been times when I lied to avoid bringing up the realities of my family life. For example: Woman: “What did you do today?” Truth: “I played tag with my kids at the park, then read picture books at the library.” Lie: “I went running in the park, then came home and read.” These days, I’ve become a little more emotionally seasoned when it comes to dating, so I’m able to casually tell women that I’m married and talk about my family too. Maybe registering with Universe for a year has helped me grow and become more confident, lol. I’m not looking for a pseudo-romantic relationship. In the end, all I really want is to safely enjoy some intimate time, so I’ve only just realized that there’s no problem with bringing up my family. That said, once I mention my family, I often get questions that are hard to answer on the spot. They usually come up during pillow talk after sex, too, lol. I always answer immediately: “Are you going to get divorced?” → “I’m not getting divorced!” “Do you like me more than your wife?” → “I like you!” “Then why aren’t you getting divorced?” → “There are all kinds of reasons! That’s why I’m using a dating club! lol” 【Conclusion】 When it comes to women I like, or women who are honest with me about themselves, I answer everything honestly. On the other hand, when a woman is lying, sometimes I intentionally lie right back. Actually, that’s not quite right. I guess I just say whatever seems most appropriate depending on my mood and the situation… I don’t really know. I leave everything up to how things feel in the moment.

I’m Marika, a female member. When it comes to men, quite a lot of them have fairly good relationships with their wives. But after being married for many years, they become more like comrades than a man and woman, and come to the club because they want to enjoy a bit of playing at being lovers, so to speak. Personally, although I’m aware of the risks, I don’t mind married men. On the other hand, men who had divorced and were looking for someone to remarry often became almost stalker-like. And single men who had lost their wives at a young age would send me LINE messages packed with emojis morning and night, which felt rather intense. So I don’t have a very good impression of them. Single men in their 30s to early 40s might be fine, though. There’s nothing unusual about the men at the club being married. To avoid awkwardness and help you understand things like their time constraints, I think it’s better for them to be upfront about it—it makes the relationship go more smoothly. ♪ The bath is ready ♪, so I’ll stop here!