Maezawa from the president’s office here, and I’ll answer as well.
There’s also the saying, “Women are actresses.”
It may be a little old-fashioned these days, but you can maintain the relationship by saying things like:
“Yes, yes, I do think of you as my lover.”
(Meaning you say you think that way, even though you really don’t.)
If he says, “Why don’t you reply on LINE right away?” you can say:
“No one I’ve dated before has ever complained about that. We’re lovers, so please be patient with me.”
Or, if he asks, “Can you meet on the ___?” and you reply, “Oh, I already have plans that day, so I can’t,” and he says, “Why not? We’re lovers, aren’t we?” you can answer:
“Exactly. Since we’re lovers, you can put up with something like that, right?”
You can also take the initiative in the opposite direction:
“We’re lovers, so could you transfer another ¥100,000 to me this month?”
Or:
“We’re lovers, right? Relationships actually work better when you don’t see each other too often.”
There seem to be all kinds of ways to make it work.
> Is this kind of relationship really that uncommon?
There are apparently even people who want you all to themselves, so I think there are a fair number of them out there.
As long as you’re receiving an allowance, I think it’s fine to handle the relationship cleverly and make it work.
If he starts saying, “We’re lovers, so you don’t need an allowance anymore, right?” that’s when it’s time to say goodbye.
> I’m thinking of explaining my feelings to him, and if we’re not compatible, I’ll turn down the relationship.
You don’t necessarily have to explain everything or formally turn him down. If the allowance is still a benefit to you, I think you could continue making the relationship work.
But if you feel you can’t put up with it, then I suppose you should decline.
I’m a male member, “Paper Airplane.”
At a club, it’s natural—and quite common in a good relationship—for a man to treat a woman as if she were his girlfriend, or with the feelings he’d have toward a girlfriend.
But there’s a huge difference between “thinking of you as a girlfriend” and “regarding you as his girlfriend.”
Likewise, there’s a big difference between saying it casually and bringing it up repeatedly.
Since you’re asking about it, does that mean he’s being pushy?
Having someone think of you that way and cherish you can also be part of developing a wonderful relationship, so I feel you may not need to worry about it too much…
As a man, perhaps he said it because he doesn’t want to feel empty or overly aware of the transactional nature of the relationship.
Also, because it’s a club relationship—and precisely because you aren’t actually a couple—you may be able to enjoy a relationship that goes beyond what you’d have with a regular partner, or something different from that. For women, that can mean enjoying the relationship while also receiving an allowance.
Of course, it’s a different story if the man is seriously deviating from the purpose of the club, but I also feel it may be worth observing how things develop.
From a man’s perspective, after a few weeks or some time has passed, he may regain his composure. If a certain emotional connection develops during that period, there’s a good chance he’ll become fully satisfied with the relationship as it is.
