Tell me about presents from your papas that were difficult to deal with—and presents that made you happy.

In my case: Most troublesome presents No. 1: Homemade chikuzen-ni and simmered pumpkin packed in food containers (When I mentioned that I don’t cook for myself, he made them and brought them over. I had no idea what was in them, so I got scared and threw them away without eating them.) No. 2: Two opened boxes of supplements (They were cheap ones available through overseas online shopping. I started imagining that there might be a GPS tracker or listening device hidden inside, or that the contents had been replaced with some dangerous drug, and I got scared and threw them away on my way home.) No. 3: Preserved flowers (They were sent anonymously as a surprise on an ordinary day. Just like with the supplements, I worried that they might contain a GPS tracker, listening device, or hidden camera. Besides, having them on display would remind me of the emotional strain of papa-katsu even while I was at home. I felt guilty, but threw them away with the burnable trash.) Presents that made me happy No. 1: When he gave me an allowance five times the usual amount for my birthday (That man said, “Money is better than things, right?” We’re still seeing each other regularly, even now, two years later.) No. 2: A watch (This was also for my birthday. I hadn’t even asked for one, and I never imagined I would receive a birthday present—let alone a watch from a high-end brand—so I was extremely happy.) No. 3: Five boxes of steam-heated eye masks (He said he had accidentally ordered a large quantity on Amazon after entering the wrong number, so he gave me some. I use them occasionally, so I really appreciated them.) Looking through this question box, I sometimes wonder whether my experiences are still pretty mild compared with everyone else’s. I’d love to hear about your papa-katsu experiences too.