I’m a male member in my late 40s with seven years of club experience. The other day, someone seemed hopeful after seeing a comment in the Q&A forum from a man who had never been turned down as a C-type, but I was turned down as a D-type. After dinner, I heard she lived alone and didn’t eat much of a proper meal, so I spent about ¥16,000 buying pasta, cup noodles, curry, meat, sausages, and other groceries at a supermarket. After that, I invited her to continue the evening, but she turned me down. I later found out it was because I hadn’t mentioned the amount upfront. Until then, I’d always confirmed whether she was interested in an adult relationship (intimate) and then negotiated the allowance without any problems, so it never occurred to me. Have any of you ever failed when negotiating the terms of an adult relationship (intimate)?

I’m Nanana Ayase, a female member. So he told you that you weren’t eating anything decent, right? Maybe what you really wanted wasn’t groceries, but money? When giving you the allowance for an adult relationship, he might have been better off handing you some extra money and saying, “Use this to eat something delicious.” That probably would have been smoother. If someone went out of their way to shop for groceries with me because they thought it would help, I’d honestly be happy—it would feel just like we were a real couple.

I’m Date◎Yume, a male member. I’ve shared this favorite story of mine several times before, but… We went to a hotel, took a bath, washed each other, and after getting out of the bath, one of us headed to the bed, while the other put on his underwear and started getting ready to leave. It was a rare experience—probably one I’ll never have again. I didn’t ask her to return the allowance I’d given her, but all I could do was laugh. (笑)

Maezawa from the president’s office will answer as well. I’ve had women tell me: “Please let the men know how much allowance I’m looking for, like other dating clubs do.” And I’ve also had men ask: “I want to know how much the women are asking for.” Apparently, there used to be a message board where women’s desired allowance amounts were written using codes like “three trees,” but I believe the police cracked down on it and even arrested the person running it. I can’t find the article, though… So dating clubs that do this now could be raided at any time. If that happens, members might be questioned, asked to come to the police station, or even arrested for refusing to cooperate, from what I understand. That makes me worry, even though it’s none of my business, whether dating clubs doing things like that are really okay. Of course, I also wonder whether the people who belong to them are okay. I do understand that it would be better if the terms could be communicated without having to say them outright—there would be fewer problems, after all—but under Japanese law, I think that’s difficult. Also, apparently some other clubs decide the women’s allowance themselves, and someone once came to an interview at Universe because she couldn’t accept that. The issue of allowances is complicated. Women feel uneasy unless they’ve discussed and agreed on the terms before going to the room, so I think it would be good for the men to bring up the subject themselves.

I’m Flag Maker, a column writer. No, in my view, an allowance isn’t something you put on a woman—it’s something you put on your own forehead saying, “I’m worth ¥X.” So I always mention it as a set. Otherwise, how can she decide whether she wants to buy me or not?

I’m Hikokuki, a male member. As for a failure: I got carried away after making it all the way to a hotel with an A-type woman, only for things to stop at A and B—quite literally. For some reason, I treated her too delicately and ended up acting far too much like a gentleman. What I found difficult about negotiating an adult relationship was that, once it came to C-type women, I found it hard to turn them down directly. I struggled to behave in a way that would subtly make them lose interest as well… I really felt how difficult it must be for women to turn someone down, too. Also, my main focus was generally B-type women. My preference is for women who neither suggest nor ask about the allowance, and who don’t negotiate. I’m still seeing the women who didn’t require me to name an amount, negotiate, or make any decisions from my side either.

I’m Kazu, a male member. I usually confirm whether we’re both open to an adult relationship and negotiate the allowance at the same time, but I see that some people discuss those separately. As for a time I failed at negotiating an adult relationship: on a first date with a Type B woman, I brought up the allowance for an adult relationship—not because I intended to have one that day, but simply as a reference point for her to consider whether she’d want to meet a second time. She ended up expressing that it made her uncomfortable.