I’m completely turned off by my papa (a male supporter), who brags about how much money he has but is actually incredibly cheap. He’s always showing off his wealth, yet he only takes me to ordinary, inexpensive restaurants—and even goes out of his way to take me to some cheap, musty love hotel far away. I don’t mind if his budget is limited, but then he shouldn’t brag about his financial status in the first place.

One of the good things about papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) is that women get to choose. Why not just end things with him?

I’m not rich, so I don’t have a lot of disposable money to spend solely on the woman I’m seeing. Even though I’ve always made that clear, she still asks me for things from time to time, which can be difficult. I’ve also told her it’s fine for her to get a boyfriend, but she still hasn’t. I’m starting to wonder what’s going on. She’s getting older, too, so that’s actually what worries me more.

Reading this question brought tears to my eyes. You’re practically spitting on yourself. Pull yourself together.

You’re like an office worker having drinks while complaining about your boss and company. It’s kind of a heartwarming sight in the city—and other people’s frustrations and complaints can make good drinking companions, in a way. So, cheers to you for getting through the day.

papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) isn’t something you should continue while bottling up stress, so let’s look ahead.

Go to the trouble of finding a backup papa, then send that stingy papa a long list explaining exactly what’s wrong with him. Consider it volunteer work to set the world right.

It’s so lame to keep seeing that guy and then end up posting complaints about him on a Q&A site.

I’m honestly moved to tears by how a woman I used to date has turned out. I logged into Instagram for the first time in ages, and a video posted by an ex I still followed showed up first. It was some kind of celebrity-style night-pool video overseas, with her in a swimsuit. I don’t know whether she was wearing less makeup or it had washed off in the water, but her face looked like Ken Naoko without makeup, and it genuinely gave me a shock. You could still see traces of the woman she used to be in her excited expression, but how did she age this much? She must only be around 40. She was always very eager to show everyone how popular she was with men. She apparently dated a well-known man in his 70s and received all sorts of nice things from other men she dated too. She also had two Chihuahuas. I was the one who ended things, and after we had an exchange that annoyed me, I impulsively provoked her by saying, “This is probably your first time getting dumped, huh? lol” She completely lost it and spent several days sending me long messages about what a stingy, petty, fundamentally awful person I was. She has quite a high opinion of herself. Her reactions are so easy to read. You probably see people like that fairly often in everyday life, right? lol Lately, I’ve been enjoying Karina’s Osaka王将 winged gyoza commercial, “The Unforgettable Man” edition, because it makes me chuckle. Then today I happened to find that woman’s Instagram. Later that evening, someone posted what was basically a gender-swapped version of that same kind of question—or rather, complaint—in the question box, and I couldn’t help reacting. At this point, doesn’t it become more funny than sad? lol Anyway, getting back to the point: instead of joining the “gimme game,” losing, and throwing a tantrum, try living a little closer to what really matters. You’ll age yourself, seriously lol. People who enjoy each day naturally don’t seem to age. A woman I know who’s in her late 40s says men still approach her. At this point, saying “still” is practically rude. She lives honestly without being bound by anything, so I think she has an incredible aura that comes from within. I think you should aim for that too. I’m off to watch Ken Naoko on YouTube, so I’ll leave it there. Taro