Before Valentine’s Day, I started getting messages from various men, so I gave them chocolates when we met. But when White Day came around, I didn’t hear a word from any of them. Even sending a Starbucks gift card worth a few hundred yen would have been a thoughtful gesture. Regardless of whether I wanted to stay connected or whether the allowance was involved, it was the season, and I prepared the chocolates just to see them happy. I was both disappointed and shocked by the character of these men who were apparently just collecting chocolates.

I gave it because I wanted to see you happy, so what’s the problem? If you didn’t get anything in return, just be a little embarrassed to yourself and think, “Oh no, I wasn’t giving him chocolate expecting something in return.” It’s really disgraceful to air your embarrassment like this. Marika

I think men in the papa age group are generally not very good at giving return gifts for White Day. I know it’s not great to generalize by generation, but my father, who’s in his 50s, never gives anything in return either, and at my previous workplace, there was no culture of exchanging gifts on White Day. Some of them may simply not know what to give someone younger. Even when a papa gives a brand-name item as a return gift, I feel it’s less about White Day itself and more about wanting to show off a little—White Day is just an excuse. I think a lot of them wouldn’t give anything if they didn’t feel they had to. I do feel their mindset is somewhat different from that of younger generations. For example, my cousin, who’s 18 and starting university this spring, apparently gave his girlfriend a homemade cheesecake for White Day this year. I’ve also received a homemade cake from my boyfriend before, but I’ve never heard of papas in their 40s or older enjoying White Day itself in that way. It’s not a matter of one being right or wrong. That’s just how they are, so I feel it’s better not to expect anything.