Good evening, and apologies for contacting you so late at night.

This is Kobayashi from the Tokyo branch. I’m sure men appreciate a humble woman like you. m(_ _)m You could leave it up to him once, and if it doesn’t align with what you’re looking for, you can thank him sincerely and let him know you won’t be meeting again after that. (Since it sounds like you’re receiving plenty of offers, you should be able to choose. It might be different if you weren’t getting many offers, though…) I hope you’re able to build a wonderful relationship that continues.

Maezawa from the President’s Office here. Thank you for your question. > Would it be a bad idea to give an answer like this? If you’re prepared to accept a low allowance, then I think that would be a good answer. You could also add something like, “You can decide what I’m worth.” That way, if you feel the value the man places on you is too low, you can simply stop seeing him after the second meeting and say goodbye. And if he’s the kind of person who seriously considers that he’s deciding the woman’s value, I think he’ll offer a fair allowance. If he asks, “How much have you received in the past?” you could say, “That’s a secret,” or even tell a harmless lie like, “I’ve been on lots of dates, but you might be the first person I’ve taken things further with.” There was once a story about an inn that said, “Guests are free to decide how much to pay for their stay,” and most people paid more than the going rate. However, apparently one person paid only 100 yen. It made me realize that there are strange people everywhere. There may be some at Universe as well, so leaving the amount up to the other person does carry the possibility of things turning out badly. You need to be prepared for that. However, a decent person would probably think you’re a good woman for taking that approach. Another advantage is that you can learn a lot about the man’s personality and way of thinking from how much he offers and how he responds. By the way, I don’t think this approach would work abroad. It’s probably something particular to Japanese culture. Even in Japan, if the man is a foreigner, I think it would be better to clearly state the amount you want. > I received offers from two people on the very day I registered. It’s possible that the staff had approached them before you officially registered. But if that wasn’t the case, then you’re likely to be a very popular woman. It looks like you’ll easily surpass 50,000 yen and settle somewhere just under 100,000 yen.

I’m Paper Airplane, a male member. I believe the questioner’s answer is correct. The reason is that if I were asked to pay more than I do for my favorite girl, I wouldn’t continue the arrangement.

I’m Taro, a male member. I also start by asking, “Do you have any preferences?” About one in three women gives me an answer like yours. And the moment I hear that, I feel a gentle warmth inside. It makes me feel that she values meeting me more than the money. So I offer an amount one level below what I consider the going rate. In most cases, we reach an agreement that way. But I don’t see it as haggling—I feel as though I’m taking on a personal responsibility or assignment. Until I become really fond of someone, I still make offers to other women, but in my mind it becomes a comparison between “introduction fee plus the going rate” and “someone who asks for less than the going rate,” and the latter usually wins. It’s like I’m relying on her feelings toward me to create a mechanism that helps restrain emotions I can’t control through logic alone. Sorry if that’s hard to understand. Even after going that far, though, whether things continue honestly comes down to compatibility: intimate compatibility and conversational compatibility. I know that sounds selfish, but I’ll definitely meet her enough times to determine whether we’re compatible. On the other hand, when a woman gives a specific amount in response to “Do you have any preferences?”, I consider two possibilities. One is that she sees her allowance as her market value. The other is that someone casually told her that amount and she simply accepted it, or that she chose it as compensation for the fear of being intimate with someone she doesn’t like. The first type isn’t the kind of person I’m looking for, so I say goodbye. With the second type, however, I try to meet her where she is. Specifically, I put aside all my complaints and try to express my affection in the best way I can, then see how she responds. If her reaction is positive, I meet her a few more times, build trust, and then discuss the allowance again. If her reaction is disappointing, I give up. Of course, I don’t insult her or anything, but I make my position fairly clear. I think it’s better for both of us not to waste time by expressing our intentions clearly and early. Sorry for the long reply. You seem to have thought carefully about your question, so I wanted to share my unfiltered perspective as a real-life example. There are all kinds of people in the world, but don’t worry too much about what others say—put your own values at the center of your decision. Especially when you’re putting your own body on the line. If you like something, it’s okay to say you like it. If you dislike something, it’s okay to say you dislike it. That’s the starting point. I hope my honest perspective is helpful in some way. Hang in there.

I’m Kazu, a male member. I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I’m happy to be one of the people answering your questions. I think your answer was exactly right. Quite a few women reply, “Whatever you feel is appropriate,” when asked what allowance they’re expecting. I’m sure men ask because they want a specific figure, but personally, I don’t mind that kind of response. No one has ever said this to me, but “I’d like 30, please” would be an unpleasant answer. I’d take it as a sign that she probably wants to turn me down.