My papa is demanding a refund.

What a stingy guy. It’s not like he was made to hand over 2 million yen or anything.

I don’t think you can be sued. First, it depends on whether the money you received in advance “for March” was for a mistress arrangement or a dating arrangement (with no intimacy). What does the contract say? If there is no written contract, you could argue that you understood it to be a mistress arrangement. Article 90 states: “Any legal act that violates public order or good morals is invalid.” Therefore, the arrangement itself would be invalid. Since the contract is invalid, the money you received would not be considered an advance payment, but rather a gift. If it was a gift, the money belongs to you, so I don’t think you have an obligation to return it. Even if it was a dating arrangement, the man was the one who canceled. You were willing to meet, so it is generally understood that the payment is still due even if the meeting did not take place. Whether this is stated in the contract will probably be the key point. However, since nothing was written down, it is understandable that the two of you had different interpretations. In this case, it is strictly a civil matter, so it would not constitute fraud, and you would not be criminally prosecuted. In civil cases, what is written in the contract generally takes priority. If it was only a verbal agreement, I don’t think the other person would have much chance of winning even if they sued you. If a lawyer contacts you, don’t answer on the spot. Just keep saying that you’ll respond later. It’s only a matter of being careful with your answers, since you don’t know what kind of trap might be hidden in the questions. Personally, I don’t think you can continue seeing someone who brings up this kind of issue. You could send something like: “Unfortunately, I think it’s best that we end things here. Please never contact me again. If you contact me again, I will consult the police about harassment and stalking.” Then block him. If he continues contacting you or starts harassing you, I think you should contact the police without hesitation. Even if the police don’t take action, having it officially recorded can make it easier to take the next step.

I’m with Early’s answer! “Legal action,” huh? What is this, some elementary-school-level threat? LOL Trying to get a lawyer involved just to claim an amount equivalent to a monthly allowance... Is that papa planning to fabricate something like “an agreement regarding refunds of papa-katsu monthly allowances”? Yeah, right. LOL You still have the messages showing that papa was the one who canceled, too. If papa is actually serious, he’s the one who seems clueless, so I’d say go ahead and turn the tables by threatening him back. As for your question: “I’m not refunding it.” It’s me.

People who barely know what they’re talking about but still want to control anyone who doesn’t do things their way are so shallow. They’re always the ones saying, “I’ll take legal action…” If you reply, “I’ve kept records of our LINE messages, so I’ll get back to you after consulting someone,” won’t they just quietly disappear? The point is, a small-minded guy like that shouldn’t try to look cool by entering into a monthly arrangement. —Akari

Since Mr. Early’s lawyer has said so as well, try sending this: “I’ll also consult a lawyer without deleting any of my past records.” Also, be sure to report to the staff that you were told this. They may have said the same thing to other women too.

“Legal action” (lol). There are always people who say that, right? You should be fine since you have the messages showing that you made plans with your papa and he canceled. You could send something like: “You said you would meet me, but you didn’t show up. May I take legal action as well?” And keep the thought, “Don’t complain when you’re the one in a monthly arrangement, you stingy old man,” to yourself instead of saying it out loud. Marika

Do you issue receipts for the allowance or provide acknowledgments of payment? Have you entered into a contract? If not, I think you can simply respond, “What are you talking about?” and leave it at that.

Since this isn’t a contractual relationship, I don’t think they can generally take legal action, although some lawyers will still try to pursue matters like this. That said, it’s probably just an intimidation tactic aimed at someone they think won’t know their rights, and there’s a good chance they never genuinely intended to take legal action. My own attorney says it’s quite common for people to back down and comply with demands simply because they’re threatened with legal action or a lawyer gets involved. You could try replying, “I’ll consult with a lawyer as well.”