This is Mack, one of the respondents. Sorry to bother you with another question.

Maezawa from the CEO’s office here. The fact that he’s your boss is what makes this so complicated. If he weren’t your boss, you could probably resolve things by saying, “I’d like an allowance of around ¥20,000 per meeting.” If he agreed, it could become a transactional relationship and he’d simply be a regular papa (a male supporter). And if he couldn’t afford that, he’d probably stop asking you out. But when he’s your boss, I’m worried that the moment you bring up an allowance, he could spread rumors around the company, calling you a whore, making things so uncomfortable that you’d end up quitting. Another option would be to tell him, “Please leave your wife.” But many men lie, saying they’re preparing to leave, while never actually doing anything. Keeping your distance is best, but when he’s your boss, you still have to discuss work, so you can’t really avoid him. In that case, saying, “I have a boyfriend now, so I can’t see you anymore,” might be the smoothest solution...

I’m a lost 60-something. Haha… I’m definitely late to the game. Megumi, we’re all rooting for you!

I’m Rin, a female member. I’m simply acting based on my own judgment about whether to respond. It’s not that I’m jumping at the chance to engage, nor am I ignoring anyone. But I’m used to this kind of thing, so I’ll handle it. ＊To Megumi (I don’t want this to cause any misunderstanding, but Megumi has absolutely nothing to do with this. I think she’s wonderful and want to support her.) I think Megumi is a very attractive person. But you’re also drawn to certain aspects of your boss, aren’t you? That makes me wonder whether filling the same kind of emotional gap will really allow you to break free from those feelings. I understand how painful it is when you can’t change your circumstances or position. Still, I hope you can find something—like Papua-san suggested—that exists on a completely different level and that you can use to break free on your own. Because your current situation doesn’t seem all that different from your relationship with your boss. Once morning comes, you’ll still go back to your usual place, just as before… Megumi, take it one step at a time. This is addressed to Megumi.

I’m Date◎Yume, one of the male members. I’m sure the boss Megumi likes must be a capable, attractive heartthrob. So I feel that bringing Mac into the picture is a bit of a stretch, even if he is supposedly a former Masaharu Fukuyama lookalike. The reason is this: > You’re probably thinking, “That bastard Mac just wants to brag about having Megumi all to himself…” And you’d be absolutely right. I’m incredibly jealous. Really, sending Date◎Yume as a special envoy would probably solve everything here, but due to various circumstances, I can’t do that… Mac would probably think, “That Date bastard is all bark and no bite—overconfident despite being unable to do anything.” And he’d be absolutely right（笑） So, ideally, I think it’s important for Megumi to keep her relationship with her boss strictly professional and stop having any personal interest in him. It might also be a good idea to focus on creating some exciting personal time for herself… For example, she could try something she’s wanted to do but never managed to, or take on something she’s recently been curious about. What do you think? It doesn’t have to be those things—why not try creating some exciting personal time in whatever way works for you? As for whether Mac’s *ahem* can really get her excited… I’m not so sure, but I suppose that could still be an option（笑）

I’m Flag Maker, the column writer（笑） Mac-san is already the Nagoya branch director of the Hole-Filling Rod Association. I’m still demoted to an ordinary member of the Kanto branch, so I can’t exactly lecture anyone about filling holes（笑） I’m guessing that boss probably isn’t a genuinely bad person. He has good qualities too, and she doesn’t dislike him. That’s why Megumi may find herself responding out of kindness. She could turn him down clearly, but since they work together and have to interact professionally, things could become awkward and make work difficult. That’s how I imagine the situation. I’ve both been rejected and rejected someone at work before, and afterward it was incredibly awkward. Especially when I was the one who turned them down—it’s still awkward even now, more than a year later^^; ① Keep gently turning him down and wait for him to give up. ② Talk things over and return to a relationship where sex is off the table but dinner only is okay. If he keeps asking, then get angry and say, “I’ve lost all respect for you!” ③ Clearly end the relationship. Personally, I think option ② could be a good way to find out whether he truly values her as a person or is simply driven by his desires. However, I suspect this man is probably the very difficult type who is “driven by desire, but not actually a bad person.” By the way, a girl who appears in a column for the “Hole-Filling Rod Association” once came to me with a similar problem. She chose option ①. She was the kind of girl who couldn’t say no because she was afraid of hurting the other person—kind at heart, but also somewhat dependent on him and prone to being swept along. Even if it’s gradual, I think the best approach is whichever causes Megumi the least stress and leaves the fewest emotional scars. *The “Advice Corner” is currently accepting questions.* [onayami@aol.com]

I’m in Seattle. It’s unfair that my boss, who’s having an affair, gets it from Megumi for free. Let’s get some money from him.

This morning, my wife asked, “Are you free tomorrow?” and I panicked, wondering if she’d figured out that I was trying to make plans for a date tomorrow. Then she suddenly said, “Why don’t we go somewhere tomorrow, like a hot spring, just for the day?” Later that afternoon, she came home and said, “What? You haven’t booked anything yet? It’s already late—what are you doing?” “Huh?” “I thought you’d already made the reservation.” And just like that, tomorrow’s date never happened, and I ended up booking a nearby hot spring instead… This is Paper Airplane, a male member with a bald, meatball-shaped head. If you ever run into trouble, I’ll rush to Nagoya anytime. Just say the word. Shall I pretend to be your uncle or something? Let’s definitely go karaoke sometime—oh, wait… in Nagoya, I guess it would be a swingers’ club…

I’m Kazu, a male member. Cheap... Don’t sell yourself for less than an allowance plus a little kindness! **Addendum:** “Cheap” was my reaction to her almost being won over by something as minor as her boss waiting for her to finish overtime and bringing her a coffee. “Easy” would work too. More than that, I’m speechless at how outrageously self-centered her boss is. I’d heard he was the type to suddenly turn cold after getting what he wanted, but asking her to introduce him to a friend-with-benefits—or to bring a friend for a threesome? Seriously? (lol) I thought most ordinary men learned by their twenties at the latest that they shouldn’t suddenly become cold toward a woman just because they got what they wanted and were satisfied. Sana, I’m sorry if my answer made you feel uncomfortable.