Does anyone have a papa who says things like, “I’m not rich, so this is all I can do,” when giving you your allowance, or says, “I can’t buy you presents, so you don’t need any, right?” or “You’re cute because you don’t ask for expensive things”?

Maezawa from the CEO’s Office will answer as well. Thank you for your question. > Please tell me how I can improve the situation. The beginning is crucial. It may be difficult to improve your relationship with your current partner, but you can prevent this from happening with the next man you meet by handling things properly from the start. In other words: At the first meeting, state your desired allowance a little higher than you actually expect. Even if he tries to negotiate, don’t give in—say that other people pay you more. If he can’t accept that, unfortunately, you’ll have to leave. Even if you don’t particularly want gifts, casually bring them up from time to time. For example: “I got a ○○ wallet from another papa (a male supporter) the other day, but honestly, I wanted a ○○ bag more.” Mention it as if you’re simply talking about something else. That way, the questioner will be seen as a woman who costs money, and if a man feels he can’t handle that, he’ll walk away. If you’re worried about being abandoned or don’t want to come across as calculating, then things will stay as they are. Luxury brands are expensive, but they survive because there are people who understand their value. Brands that sell themselves cheaply remain in that position forever. I think you should watch the entire drama Survival Wedding. It talks about brands, and there are some pretty valuable lessons in it. For example: Louis Vuitton has never held a sale even once in its 160-year history. Keeping clothes from old seasons creates inventory costs and losses. That’s why many brands will sell leftover stock at reduced prices just to clear it out. Louis Vuitton, however, refuses to discount its products in order to preserve their value—even if that means destroying unsold items. A brand like Louis Vuitton would still make a considerable profit by selling its products at a discount. But it chooses not to. And so on...

I’m Basil, a male member. From his perspective, you’re probably a convenient woman who isn’t particularly attractive but is available cheaply. People like that are valuable in their own way, so he really shouldn’t say things that could ruin it. He probably mistakenly thinks you’ll never leave him no matter what he does. At this point, it’ll be difficult to change the nature of the relationship. If you’re prepared to end things, why not ask for more anyway—you’ve got nothing to lose?

I’m Taro, a male member. You know how sometimes something someone says really gets under your skin? That man’s comment was clearly a blunder. But if you think about it, you’ll realize he doesn’t actually think less of you. If a woman’s worth could be put into a price, yours would be far higher than the allowance he’s giving you now. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said that. He should have conveyed those feelings first, but by awkwardly turning it into a money issue, he only upset you. It was simply an awkward man’s blunder. If you want to resolve this from your side, make him understand how you feel. You could say something like, “I said the allowance was fine as it is, but when you put it that way, it makes me feel like you see me as a cheap woman, and that actually makes me feel bad.” Be straightforward and frame it as a matter of your feelings, not money. Once he understands that this is the real issue, you’ve won. He probably never intended to make you feel that way. He really likes you and is just hesitating because he doesn’t want you to dislike him for being so small-minded. I’m sure he’ll correct himself quickly. You may be feeling like you won’t be satisfied unless he raises your allowance because you’re so angry, but try to hold back. For now, focus on taking control of the game and scoring your first win. In a long game, the strategist who controls the situation is the one who wins. This is an important first step.

I’m Paper Airplane, a male member. It sounds like you two aren’t really on the same wavelength. Let’s think about why things ended up feeling so unsatisfying.

It’s me. Men are free to think that way, but they really don’t need to say it out loud. They could just keep quiet and show through their actions—rather than the amount of money—that they value and appreciate you. The moment I hear it put into words, though, it irritates me. I don’t think there’s any room for improvement at this point. And even if things did improve, I don’t feel there’s anything good about continuing the relationship while both of you are still stressed. Just chalk it up to a bad match and look for someone new♪( ´▽｀)

I’m Kazu, a male member. Company money is used for entertaining clients, but ordinary men pay for dating partners out of their own pockets. Since they’re separate wallets, I don’t think what that man said was necessarily wrong. To avoid being told, “I’m not cheap, so don’t expect much,” you’d need to come across as a woman who clearly requires a significant investment to date. However, based on your question, I don’t get much sense of the questioner’s intelligence or refinement, so raising your own value seems like it would be a long and difficult road. One easy way to improve the situation would be to adopt the attitude of, “As long as you give me a generous allowance, I’ll do anything.” Men may assume it costs more to support a woman who is happily willing to do things other women wouldn’t, as long as she’s paid enough. For example, a kept man once told me about a mama with a scat fetish who said to him, “If you eat my feces, I’ll give you a bundle of cash.” I’ve heard similar stories from host club workers as well. There are wealthy people in this world with extreme fetishes who spare no expense to satisfy their desires. Since very few people are willing to indulge those desires completely, if you meet one and fulfill them, you may receive a generous allowance and be treated as someone special. It was a long time ago, so this story is dated, but that man had two Cartier Love bracelets with different-colored diamonds shining on his wrists. If you’re wearing jewelry worth at least a million yen around your wrist, people won’t see you as a cheap woman anymore. Good luck.

I’m Date◎Yume, a male member. > Please tell me how to improve the situation. It’s simple: just end the relationship. You should wait for an offer from a wealthier man.