I’ve recently had several men in a row tell me that, after registering with Universe, they realized this kind of arrangement just wasn’t for them, and it’s really getting me down.

I’m Flag Maker, a column writer. Two years is a long time. Even when I stick with someone, it’s only been a little over six months at most（笑）. That’s impressive.

I’m Kazu, a male member. Two years is a pretty long time. Still, saying, “I like her so much that I just can’t accept a relationship where I’m paying her,” isn’t really acceptable. Once a woman’s reasons for continuing the arrangement start to include feelings beyond the money, I can’t help thinking he should simply be satisfied with that. It seems difficult to tell from the beginning how a man will think about things, so it’s probably hard to come up with any specific tips. Maybe the key is to figure out early on what he’ll do if he starts developing feelings. Make-san, I’d be happy to grab tea sometime. It’d be nice to compare answers too（笑).

I’m Fuu, a columnist. Two years is quite a long time for an arrangement to continue. What are your priorities when it comes to papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan)? I’m not sure that lasting a long time is necessarily a good thing. Even if the relationship is short-lived, wouldn’t it be better to meet a papa (a male supporter) whose terms match yours as closely as possible, whose personality suits you, and who doesn’t make things difficult for you?

I’m Date◎Yume, a male member. I’ve been involved in papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) for three years, seeing the same woman for all three years, with an allowance naturally included—and even I think papa-katsu is difficult. Well, to put it plainly, I think it ultimately comes down to how seriously the man approaches the relationship. The whole dating-club system can really confuse—or tempt—men, so to speak… (lol) In that kind of environment, the men who can resist those temptations are the ones who can maintain a long-term relationship with one woman (and it’s probably the same with multiple women). Even with multiple partners, if you aren’t constantly replacing them, I don’t think it’s all that different from seeing just one woman. However, the more partners you have, the harder it becomes to set aside enough time and money, which inevitably leads to longer gaps between dates. As a result, there will probably be women with whom you have no choice but to end the relationship. From a woman’s point of view, I think it comes down to understanding how seriously the man approaches the relationship and whether she can give him the kind of relationship he’s looking for.

I’m Aya, a female member. Lasting two years is quite impressive. Even I start thinking, “That’s a long time,” once it reaches that point. It sounds like you’ve simply had bad luck with your most recent partner, so I’m sure you’ll meet another wonderful papa (a male supporter) after a while. But saying, “I don’t pay because I like you,” is just a sophistry. From a papa’s perspective, it’s natural to think, “I like you, but I’m married, so I can’t be with you. The least I can do is give you a better life, even if only a little. I hope you won’t come to hate me for being married.” I’m sure there are plenty of people like that, and if you meet one, the relationship will definitely last. Don’t get discouraged—wait for your next opportunity.

I applied through the form to become an answerer, but was completely ignored. When I followed up, Maezawa-san reluctantly told me to “wait a little longer,” and then even contacted my coordinator to ask, “What kind of person is Makeotoko? Is he okay?” After being thoroughly questioned and checked out, I finally became an answerer three weeks after applying. I only just realized that I’d been giving my ace girl 1,000,000 yen a month, even though I’d been calculating it as a fixed 700,000 yen. We meet twice a month at most. Kazu-san, it looks like we’re at the same branch, so would you like to grab tea sometime? Are you talking about a platinum girl? I can think of two platinum girls who might be her. Please make her happy. m(｡>__<｡)m Oh, right—I've also met one girl who I think Kazu-san may have offered to. She was a gold-tier girl. Maybe not her? Perhaps we just have similar tastes? Now, finally, to answer the question. It’s amazing that you’ve kept this going for two years. You’re a genius. Don’t you think you saw that papa as a man, at least to some extent? Personally, I can’t easily let go of a girl who sees me as a man. In fact, I can clearly tell that the girl I’m giving 1,000,000 yen a month to sees me as a man at least half the time. So what started at 100,000 yen per pay-per-meeting gradually became ten times that before I knew it. If a papa has money to spare, the more he loves a girl, the more he wants to give her. At least, that’s how I feel. My affection and her allowance are completely connected. I can’t imagine not supporting a girl I love this much. Even back when I didn’t have much money, I had a habit of treating my juniors. Saying I’ve never let a woman pay a single yen on a date throughout my life would be an exaggeration, but I’d gladly treat any girl I truly care about, no matter what. That said, I do try to make it look like it isn’t about the money, so the woman doesn’t feel humiliated. To sum up: if you want it to last, find a papa you can genuinely see as a man. You can tell from reading the female answerers’ comments, but they really love their papas. They love them so much that you almost start worrying whether they’re okay.

I’m a male member, “Paper Airplane.” > I like you so much that I just can’t see our relationship as one where I’m paying you. I don’t think I could ever say that to someone I genuinely liked. When you truly care about someone, you want to cherish them—and that means giving them both your affection and your money…

I’m Maezawa from the President’s Office, and I’ll answer this as well. If you’ve had someone for two years, you must be attractive. The question is: what were you doing about finding new men during those two years? If you were only seeing that one man—or even if you had a few supporters but took a break or left the club and stopped accepting new offers—then I feel that may have been where the problem lay. Basically, I don’t think many relationships last forever. That’s why you need to keep seeing new men who make offers while you still have a papa. Rather than focusing on how to make one relationship last, I think you should consider how to always have a papa and avoid any gaps. You may prefer to see just one person whenever possible, but