I broke up with someone I met here and was so devastated that I even resorted to self-harm, but lately I finally feel like I’m recovering.

In a romantic relationship, it’s normal to be hurt when things end—especially if you still have feelings for the person. Even with papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan), if you’ve been seeing someone for a long time, your feelings may grow to resemble romantic feelings, so I think the same thing can happen. When you think about it that way, your approach may end up being similar to how you view romance: Will you decide you can’t get involved with anyone because you’re worried about what happens after it ends, or will you choose to date someone anyway? I feel like that’s the choice you’re facing. That said, romantic relationships begin with liking the other person, while papa-katsu starts from a different place. So if you feel that you want to quit, I think you should. But if you feel that you might meet another ideal supporter, it’s also fine to start again. Either way, the decision is yours. I hope you choose what you won’t regret.

Whether it’s pseudo-romance or a regular relationship, I think breakups are inevitable. Rather than worrying about quitting papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan), you might be better off thinking about how to keep yourself emotionally steady when a relationship ends. With papa-katsu, you can see multiple people, so I think the emotional damage will be less severe if you avoid becoming fixated on just one person. Whether that’s good or bad for your future is up to you.