Maezawa from the Business Planning Office here as well.
> I was getting all worked up, wondering how I was going to take on Maezawa, but—
It feels strange saying this myself, but you don’t have to fight me...
> Following Win’s lead, I figured apps are the future, so I’ve started finding girls through apps too.
Exactly. I was aware that things were heading in that direction, so I started developing an app a year ago under my own initiative—as the Universe app.
I say “started developing,” but it’s actually already finished and secretly registered in the app store.
(The name is completely different.)
Unfortunately, it’s full of bugs and has become a dating app where you can’t actually match with anyone.
Honestly, it’s downright embarrassing.
You might be thinking, “What do you mean?”
For example, the app is designed so that if I “like” someone and they like me back, we match and can contact each other.
But even when it displays, “You’ve matched,” I can’t actually contact the other person. (lol)
I have no idea what part of the development process produced this result.
A matching app where you match but can’t communicate with the other person...
It’s so unbelievably impressive that even I’m amazed.
(Every now and then, communication works by some miracle. lol)
I’m frantically fixing the bugs now, so please wait just a little longer.
(Who knows when that’ll be... gazing off into the distance.)
I’m Date◎Yume, a male member.
I’m only familiar with Universe—I don’t know anything about other clubs or apps. When I was joining, I did quite a bit of research and decided Universe seemed like a good choice. Once I joined, I found that the staff were even more helpful than I’d expected. (I assume the other clubs are good too, but I wouldn’t really know.)
What I like most is that they’re trying to make the whole compensated dating club industry more transparent. I’m sure there are things they can’t say, but they prepare and publish all kinds of content that really conveys the message, “Universe is safe and secure, so don’t worry.” In that sense, Mr. Maezawa’s efforts have also made a big difference. (Haha.)
I don’t have any particular staff member I favor, but since I’m registered with a branch, I’m friendly with everyone there. I don’t contact them unless something comes up, but I’ll usually give them a quick update when I’m getting in touch about something else.
That said, I do discuss more personal matters with the interviewer who handled my registration, so he’s still someone I turn to for advice. I don’t pay him for consultations. In fact, I haven’t made any offers at all lately, so I’m more worried that they might be thinking, “Should we start charging Date extra?” (Haha.)
I’m a male member, Seattle.
I’m a Gold member, and I don’t have any particular staff member I favor. I don’t really have anything to consult them about either—I make my decisions based on the detailed comments.
Rie Kawasaki at the Osaka branch writes in an entertaining way. I’m simply a fan of her blog.
I’m Hikōki, a male member.
The fact that you can write so many questions this long means you’re not just a fan of the club—you’re practically a believer, aren’t you??
You’re completely smitten and hooked, and you can’t get out anymore, right?
Yes, there’s a staff member I’m particularly fond of.
My main girlfriend lives far away, so I sometimes gave that staff member updates while traveling to see her, and we’d end up talking for quite a long time.
When I had just joined, everything was new and exciting, so I reported both the things that went well and the disappointing experiences.
That staff member even wrote about me on the staff blog once.
Since there’s no way I can talk about this with my family, people from work, or my regular friends, it’s nice having someone I can talk to.
The only people I can discuss all sorts of things with are the wife of a longtime senior member, a friend who has both a wife and several girlfriends, and that staff member. I really enjoy talking with them. I might even enjoy those moments more than I do when I’m on a date...
Lately, I’ve stopped making offers and settled on focusing on my main girlfriend, so there hasn’t been much to report. But there are some things I’m looking forward to with her as spring approaches, so once things have progressed a little further, I’d like to report back again at length.
P.S. Mac
I’ve always been extremely secretive and never wanted anyone to ask me about this, but for some reason, I can talk to that particular staff member quite naturally. It doesn’t work with the other staff members.
Normally, I’m the type who keeps even work appointments to the point and wraps them up in five minutes.
Both of my longtime girlfriends think they’re the only ones besides my wife, so I’ve continued acting like an unpopular, faithful man who never cheats—a real actor, or maybe just a very secretive person—in front of them, my family, and everyone around me. At home, I even have to pretend to be poor.
When I go to the bathroom in front of my wife or girlfriends, I make sure to place my phone exactly as someone who isn’t cheating would, so they never get suspicious.
When my wife or daughter hints, “Are you having an affair?” or one of my girlfriends tries to sound me out by saying, “You haven’t gotten yourself a young girl, have you?” I don’t get flustered. I just casually respond with a joke.
It’s honestly a huge advantage not being handsome and looking serious. If I were handsome like you, Mac, people would suspect I was a player and wouldn’t believe me, so I would’ve been found out long ago.
With the staff member, it just happens that we share each other’s secrets.
PPS. Maybe I’m the one who’s completely smitten and unable to escape. At first, I was strongly resistant to the idea of paying an allowance to have someone spend time with me because it felt uncool. But the sense of fulfillment you can gain so quickly—the power of this accelerated cultivation, made possible because the allowance allows the women to treat you so wonderfully and smoothly—is an incredible benefit unique to the club.
