I receive a monthly allowance. We’ve been seeing each other for a year and a half, and we’ve both had long-term relationships before. We’ve told each other that we feel like a real couple.

I’m Rula, a UC male member and a member of the new salon. I don’t think you need to feel guilty at all about receiving an allowance. For example, imagine a married couple. If the husband earns a substantial income and the wife is a stay-at-home spouse, he would give her money for living expenses each month. I doubt she would feel guilty about receiving it and think, “I’m sorry to be getting living expenses every month.” You could view meeting through a dating club as “a wonderful romantic relationship between a man and a woman without marriage as the goal.” In that sense, I think your situation is a perfect example of that working out successfully. Your current relationship is essentially a marriage with only the formal aspects—such as marriage and living together—removed. In other words, you’re both committed to each other exclusively, you like each other, and the man provides the woman with living expenses. I think it may help to see it that way. As for how to say something when receiving your allowance, perhaps you could approach it the same way a stay-at-home wife might when receiving living expenses from her husband. Something as simple as, “Thank you for all your hard work. Thanks again for this month,” should be fine. I hope your wonderful relationship continues for a long time.

Maezawa from the President’s Office here. > You always look so sad when you give me the allowance. It’s probably just your imagination. I don’t think she looks sad because you give her the allowance—there’s probably another reason. (Maybe she’s sad that the date is coming to an end, for example.) > I accept the allowance because I need it to live, so I can’t really refuse it. If she needs it to get by, I don’t think she can simply say she doesn’t want it. So it may be difficult to say that money isn’t one of her reasons for seeing you. That said, since the two of you already have a relationship like a couple when you’re together, I think she understands how you feel. If that weren’t the case, I don’t think the relationship would last long. Just keep holding on to those feelings, as you have until now.

I’m Saito, a column writer♪ > He gives me an allowance every month like a gentleman, but he always looks sad. (I understand, of course, that I’d feel the same way if our positions were reversed.) I don’t understand what you mean, so could you explain in more detail? Why does he look sad? You have a good relationship, don’t you...? Does the man dislike giving you an allowance? > I accept the allowance because I need it to live, but I want to make it clear that I’m not seeing him just for the money. I understand how you feel, but that’s contradictory. If you can’t say, “I don’t need it,” then I don’t think you should say you’re only accepting it reluctantly. P.S. I’ve also been seeing several women for years. I often give them money every month without an adult relationship (intimate), but I’ve never felt sad about it.