I could manage with a low pay-per-meeting allowance if he covered my beauty-related expenses, but is it okay to ask for that? How did you end up having Aya’s expenses covered? Thank you in advance.

It’s generally better not to ask outright. In situations like this, it seems to work well to talk about something you’re having trouble deciding on. For example, you could say, “I need to use a camera for work soon, and I’m trying to decide which one to get.” Then go to a camera shop together and ask the salesperson which one would be best. They might explain things like, “If you’re taking this kind of photo, this one would be better,” or “You’d probably want these three lenses.” You can continue the conversation with the salesperson as if you’re planning to buy it yourself, then wrap things up by saying, “I’ll go home and think about it for now.” If the man really likes you, he may end up saying something like, “I’ll buy the camera for you.” It depends on how much financial leeway he has and how much he likes you, so I think the nature of your relationship up to that point also matters. So, people who manage to get things bought for them can often do so simply by talking about something they’re worried about or having trouble deciding on—the man will offer to buy it for them. People whose requests are usually granted probably have that kind of personality in everyday life, too.

I used to pay for everything myself, but when my beauty IV package happened to run out and I was deciding when to buy a new one, I mentioned to my papa that I was looking for the cheapest way to purchase it. He then offered to pay for it. Coincidentally, starting that same month, he began letting me use his credit card, so I’ve also been using it to pay for things like hair salon appointments. I’ve never asked him to cover my beauty expenses. I basically intend to pay for them myself and save up accordingly, but maybe seeing me diligently save little by little made him want to pay for them instead.

You can ask for more, but making requests like that is quite an advanced skill. Most people end up getting it wrong. Even if it works out, it’s best to assume it was more or less a lucky break.