Women Who Passed By 1: Space Club

【First, let me start with the opening line of this column:
　
　Apparently, everyone has a period when they're popular. I say "apparently" because Joe has never had such a "period," and since he's never experienced it, I think it's wrong to say "everyone" does. There must be exceptions to everything, and unfortunately, Joe is probably an exception. Joe turns 60 this year, but he doesn't think such a "period" will come at this point, and even if it does, the partner will likely be a middle-aged woman with a few wrinkles, not a beautiful woman with the sweet, stench that Joe likes. And Joe joined the Space Club because he was an old man who had never had a period when he was popular. In other words, he joined because he (←stupidly) believed that if he just joined, he'd be able to have a dazzling relationship with a beautiful girl.
　I was surprised when I looked at the Space Club profile again the other day, because Joe joined in 2017. It's been almost seven years, but he has never had a truly dazzling relationship. That's probably why he continues to join, thinking, "Maybe next time I'll meet my soulmate." And this year, he'll probably renew his membership again, undeterred, or maybe unrepentant. In that sense, Joe is a fairly good member, so I hope he'll be recognized.
 The title of this article is "Women Who Passed By" because this piece of writing is a memorandum of the women who Joe proposed to at Space Club, but then lost interest in him. As I mentioned before, I will be turning 60 this year, and I feel that retirement from this kind of activity is approaching, so I felt like writing this. I hope that it will be of some help to fellow ladies. However, there is only one reason why they lost interest in me, and that is financial issues, so don't get your hopes up too much and just enjoy watching Joe lose so badly.

[Tamaranzaka, Connie's Case]
　He had proposed to Connie when he had just joined the club, which means it had been almost seven years ago. The reason he couldn't remember her face well was not only because of the passage of time, but also because of the way they broke up. I can understand it now, but at the time I was a beginner in Otosama activities and wasn't used to women just disappearing in front of my eyes. That's why Joe tried to erase Connie's memory as a dark past.
　For reasons I'll explain later, if you search the internet, you'll find pictures of her, but even if you see those pictures, you might not be able to form a memory of her. So even if you were to pass Connie at the top of Uoaizaka Hill, humming RC's "Tamaranzaka" to Osamu's new house, you probably wouldn't notice her. However, if you passed her while Joe was belting out the last phrase of the song, "Kiss me from the window," Connie might stop walking and call out to you.
  I once wrote about this, but my late sister used to tease me by saying, "You remember the trivial things, but forget the important things." I couldn't argue back then, but now I want to say, "Oney, that's one of my good points." It's not because of that, but even though I don't remember Connie's face, I remember very well where I went with her when I got my first offer and what she said to me at the beginning.
　I met Connie at a hotel on the outskirts of Ginza that later became Joe's regular hotel, and we took a taxi to Shiseido Parla. It was lunchtime. Connie's first words were, "Call me Connie."
 To Joe, "Connie" sounded like a boy's name, so his first impression was that it was a little difficult to call her.
 Connie was a beautiful woman with a dark side, but the first impression I had of her was not very good. She was not exactly cheerful, and she refused to talk about her private life. Joe didn't think she was the type to ask about a woman's private life in detail, but if everything was kept secret, the conversation would not continue. Nevertheless, they were able to continue their rendezvous, largely because Connie had no food preferences, could handle alcohol, and was happy with any restaurant Joe introduced her to. As a result, they gradually grew closer, and got to know each other's personalities little by little. In the process, they discovered that they had good sexual compatibility, and because lunchtime was the most convenient time for both of them, they continued to meet. Even after they had become close, Connie still did not actively talk about herself, but the fun they had when they met outweighed her secrecy.
  They always met at lunchtime, so one day Joe suggested "Let's meet at night sometimes," and Connie counter-proposed, "There's a delicious French restaurant in Kunitachi, so we can go there." I had a lot of questions to ask, like, "Hey, why Kunitachi?", but I knew Connie wouldn't answer even if I pressed her, so I didn't ask her anything. Joe was born in Nakano and lived there until high school, so he has little objection to places that can be reached on the Chuo Line. He had only been to Kunitachi a few times in high school, and wanted to see the changes he had heard rumors about, so he agreed.

[Connie's Confession]

  The meeting place was Kunitachi Station. As I had expected, the station building had been renovated and there were few traces of its former self, and there were now apartment buildings around the station that had not existed before. Still, I thought that the area had maintained a more calm atmosphere than other areas.
　The French restaurant we were taken to was delicious, as recommended by Connie, who has a discerning palate, and the wine that went well with the food was delicious. Joe is not very good at French food to begin with, and is the type who thinks, "Do we really need to eat pigeons and snails?" However, this restaurant overturned Joe's view of French food. Even now, I can't remember ever having eaten such delicious French food.
　Perhaps because Kunitachi is Connie's hometown, she seemed more relaxed and talkative than usual. It was not just unusual, but it was the first time she had even begun to talk about herself.
 According to the article, Connie originally wanted to be a stage actress. Her father was a businessman and had financial means, so she took up all kinds of lessons from a young age. She had several options, but after graduating from high school, she flew alone to New York and enrolled in a school for training stage actresses. However, midway through, her father's company went under, and she was no longer able to pay the monthly tuition fees, so she was forced to give up her dream of performing on stage in America.
  When she returned to Japan with her dream half-fulfilled, her parents divorced and Connie had to take care of her mother. From then on, she began to carve out her own destiny. Joining the Space Club was part of that.
  Connie rattled off all of this in one go. It was as if she had just removed a fishbone from her throat. What was the point of all that secrecy up until now?
　And Connie continues her confession.
"AV is my main source of income"
　I wasn't surprised at all. The first woman Joe offered to be a porn star was also an adult video actress, and six of the women he has offered to be a porn star to date have been adult video actresses. Even now, there are a few women in the Space Club who are adult video actresses or sex video actresses, but there used to be a lot more of them.
　Joe never offers AV actresses. None of the AV actresses Joe offered were listed on his profile. In other words, hidden? AV actresses, and I think there are quite a few of them in the current Space Club.
 However, there are many types of AV actresses, and most of them are just "fake" level. Four of the women Joe met were at that level, and two of them were actresses with their own fan clubs. Connie was one of those two.
　I don't know why, but that day Connie started talking all about all this, as if all her previous secrecy was a lie.
　Connie seems to earn a lot as an AV actress, and although it was in a regional city, she gave her mother a newly built apartment in front of the station as a gift. And in cash. She didn't say how much it cost, but it was a little over 3,000 million yen. I don't know anything about the industry, but I don't think there are many AV actresses who can pay 3,000 million yen in cash. At that time, Connie was in her 20s, but perhaps because she looked a little older, she was an AV actress whose selling point was that she was a married woman. In fact, I also found out at this time that Connie was married. Her husband was more than 20 years older than her (still younger than Joe) and was one of her patrons at first. She had no intention of getting married, but she agreed because he really wanted to, and she says she regrets it. Another reason is that her husband's money is not as good as it used to be. She joined the Space Club in order to find a new patron so that she could get a divorce. Various regulations were imposed on the AV industry, and not only did the number of works decrease, but her performance fees also decreased, so she was no longer able to earn as much as she used to, which was also her motivation for joining.
  After hearing Connie's whole story, I thought Joe was completely inadequate for the role. However, at the time, I still didn't expect the Space Club girls to suddenly disappear, so I thought that even though I was inadequate, I could still share some fun times with them. In other words, I assumed that we could continue our relationship like this for a while. And I still don't really understand why Connie spoke so openly about her private life, but maybe she was planning to disappear from Joe's sight at this point. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense that she later invited Joe to her house.
　 After the delicious French restaurant, we went to a small place where Connie was familiar with and had a drink. Even though Kunitachi is their hometown, was it okay for the two of them to wander around the area? When I pointed this out, Connie answered simply, "My husband isn't here today. He's gone to the country to raise funds." When Joe pointed out that it wasn't that kind of problem, she simply said, "It's okay, it's okay." I didn't think that arguing any further would get us anywhere, so I decided to change the topic.
"Is Tamaranzaka near here?"
"Yes, it's just a short walk away. Are you an RC fan by any chance?"
"I'm not a huge fan, but there are a few songs I like. Tamaranzaka is one of my favorites."
"Well, let's go now! My house is close to the hill. Want to stop by my place on the way home for a coffee?"　
 Thinking that the "coffee thing" was a joke, the two of them left the shop without replying, heading for Tamaranzaka.

[Tamaranzaka at night]

　To get straight to the point, Tamaranzaka is one of those steep hills you see all over Tokyo, and with buses running along it and a moonless night, it was hard to visualize the lyrics. According to the lyrics, Kiyoshiro is supposed to be "living in a rented house halfway up the hill just before the top of Tamaranzaka," but Connie told me that at the time, both sides of the hill were vacant land. To be honest, that's information I didn't want to know. Furthermore, it was cloudy that day, so as mentioned above, I couldn't see the moon that was supposed to be "peeking through." Still, I was able to get some photos of the signpost for "Tamaranzaka" and the bus stop for "Tamaranzaka," written in kanji, so I was quite satisfied as a pseudo-fan.
　Joe had no plans to have sex that day, so he had booked a business hotel in Kokubunji and was planning to catch a taxi back to the hotel. Connie then said, as she had declared, "My house is close by, so stop by." He still hesitated, and Connie grinned and said, "My husband is in the country right now, so it won't be like an adult video." Unable to resist her fearless smile and his curiosity to see what kind of house she lived in, Joe followed Connie.

[White House without a Balcony]

  Just as Connie said, the house was just a few minutes away from Tamaranzaka. It was small but had a garden, and the lights shining from the garden made the building look beautiful. There were many luxurious houses in the surrounding area, but this one stood out more than any of them.
　The white house without a balcony, faintly illuminated by the lights, was a modern and stylish house that looked like it could be in a promotional photo. It seems that Connie's wishes were fully incorporated into the design after consulting with the architect. When you go inside, the first and second floors are open to the sky, and the bedrooms and bathrooms are all on the first floor. When you go up to the second floor, you will find a space that combines the dining room and living room. The kitchen is set back, and all the cooking utensils are stored there, so if it weren't for the gas range, you might not even notice it was a kitchen. Connie was particular about the lack of a lived-in feel, and all of her favorite furnishings were placed there with her clear intention. As she intended, there is certainly not even a trace of a lived-in feel, but she wondered if her husband felt suffocated living here. This is because Joe himself could not imagine living here at all.
　Joe sat in a chair at a table that was apparently made in Europe and drank the coffee that Connie had made for him. The coffee cup was garnished with a homemade cookie.
"But it's a lovely house. Your good taste shines through."
　Although Joe's true feelings were different, he said what he thought the other person wanted most.
"Thank you, but there are still many things I want to change."
"Well, that's something to look forward to now."
　Connie's face darkened at Joe's words.
"I can't do that. My husband is planning to sell the place."
　The company her husband runs is on the decline and he has run out of options, so when he suggests selling the house, Connie decides to get a divorce.
"My husband says he's going to rent a decent apartment nearby, but this is an irreplaceable home for me. He doesn't understand that."
　Connie spoke decisively. There was a sense of determination in that statement, and no one could overturn that.
　After that, they continued to chat for a while, and when it was about time, they asked Connie to call a taxi and left the house. It wasn't what he expected, and of course it didn't turn out like in an adult video. However, Joe never dreamed that this would be their last rendezvous.
[Apartment building halfway up the slope just before reaching the top of Uoaizaka]

  Connie usually replies quickly, but Joe's LINE messages were never read. If it were now, I would have given up and deleted my account, but I didn't expect her to leave without contacting me, so I sent her two more LINE messages after that. However, none of them were read, and I realized I was blocked.
  Joe was obsessed with Connie for a while because she revealed a significant amount of her private life during their last meeting. It was enough to make Joe mistakenly think that they had become closer. However, I think now that Connie revealed her private life not because she wanted to get closer to Joe, but because she wanted to distance him. Joe's allowance was not high, and she may have found another patron.
　Both of these are merely speculations, but that is why Joe interprets them in a way that is convenient for him. He believes that Connie's decision to reveal her private life at their last rendezvous was a way of showing her gratitude to Joe, as she had already decided not to see him again. I think this is a bit far-fetched, but if thinking this way helps Joe regain his composure, then it's fine.
　And it was while I was climbing Gyoanzaka, humming Tamaranzaka, that I remembered Connie, who I thought I had sealed away from my memory. My destination was Osamu's new house.
　Recently, Osamu married a young, beautiful wife, and at her request, he bought an apartment here. Although it was a used property, Osamu complained that the interior had been renovated at a cost of tens of millions of yen, which resulted in a horrible price tag. Osamu is of the opinion that "those who buy real estate that does not generate income are fools," but he could not resist his young, beautiful and alluring bride's wish to "live in Minato Ward," and so he changed his long-held beliefs. Today, he had been invited for the first time to celebrate their marriage and new home. He had sent her a rare type of Pachira in advance as a gift.
　I had heard that the bride was a good cook, so I was expecting a elaborate and authentic meal, but the menu was a curry that was so bad it was difficult to make, and although I had disappointed Joe, I was worried about her newlywed life with Osamu, who has a lot of knowledge about cooking. Well, I know I'm being nosy, but...
　In any case, Osamu's living in Uoansaka caused him to sing Tamaranzaka, and memories of Connie that he had thought he had sealed away were brought back to him, which resulted in him writing this poor piece of writing, and Joe found this to be a fun experience.