I Suddenly Became Rich, But I Have No Idea How to Spend the Money

After completing the delivery of my i8, I packed my beloved Rimowa aluminum suitcase into the Lexus and tossed a few essentials into my newly purchased Saint Laurent backpack before setting off.

This Saint Laurent backpack was making its debut today, as I had bought it just yesterday. I used the excuse of an upcoming overseas trip to justify the purchase, and I have no regrets.

Today, I plan to head straight to Itami Airport, then transfer through Narita before embarking on the long-planned overseas trip.

A mileage run is also part of the plan.

If I may say so myself, my English proficiency is quite high.

When choosing a university, I had considered enrolling in a foreign language department, as I had always felt little psychological barrier toward foreign cultures. Moreover, my strengths were in humanities subjects, particularly English.

In my first year of university, I was forced to take the TOEIC and scored in the 900s. My English professor even told me that as long as I took the tests, I didn’t need to attend class.

I assumed that my presence in the class would disrupt the balance, given the stark contrast between my comprehension level and that of the other students. In the end, I never attended a single lecture.

Given this background, my chosen destination this time is Las Vegas.

Since I had the opportunity to travel abroad, I wanted to visit a region I had never been to before—somewhere rich in entertainment and, ideally, an English-speaking country. Las Vegas was the first place that came to mind.

Additionally, I wanted to boost my mileage card status. In fact, that might have been my primary objective.

For this trip to Las Vegas, I set one condition for myself:

I prepaid all travel expenses up to my primary destination, Las Vegas. I carried only 100,000 yen (about $1,000) in cash for discretionary spending on-site. Beyond that, I would not use any funds from my personal accounts.

In other words, if I managed to win money in Las Vegas, I could extend my travels to another country or a different region and enjoy a more luxurious stay. However, if I failed to make any money, I would have no choice but to return to Japan immediately.

I invited Shimizu to join me on this trip, but he declined outright, saying gambling in Las Vegas didn’t suit his tastes.

I had thought it would be far more enjoyable than gambling in Japan, but I left it at a simple, “I see.”

As I drove toward Itami Airport, I felt a surge of excitement about the journey ahead.

After about an hour’s drive, I arrived at Itami Airport. With a few hours to spare before departure, I passed through security and headed to the Suite Lounge on the second floor.

Since I wasn’t sure how my return journey would unfold, I decided to indulge on the way out and purchased a first-class ticket.

As a result, my domestic flights were also in premium class, granting me access to first-class lounges at Itami, Narita, and San Francisco airports.

Upon ascending the stairs and entering the Suite Lounge, I handed over my boarding pass at the counter to gain entry.

The lounge offered free soft drinks and alcohol. As I sat in an available seat, I marveled at the sheer luxury of it all.

I had heard that the Suite Lounge served Manneken waffles, and I had been looking forward to trying them.

I enjoyed the waffles with a glass of orange juice while using the lounge’s Wi-Fi to watch videos on my MacBook. Even while traveling, I wanted to keep an eye on the stock market.

By the way, I never consume alcohol before boarding a flight. I firmly believe that the combination of alcohol and sudden changes in air pressure leads to headaches. No matter what anyone says, I won’t change this policy.

Before long, it was time for priority boarding. I headed to the gate and successfully boarded ahead of the crowd.

It was my first time flying first class (premium class) on a domestic flight. As expected, the seats were spacious. This made me even more eager to see what the Narita-to-San Francisco leg would be like.

The flight was smooth and comfortable, and before I knew it, I had arrived at Narita Airport.

With about two hours to spare before my connecting flight, I made my way to the ANA Suite Lounge in Narita’s international terminal.

“As expected, Tokyo is on another level.”

The Narita lounge was even more refined than the one in Itami, with a wider selection of light meals. It also had charging stations and Wi-Fi, just like the Itami lounge, making it a flawless experience.

Before long, priority boarding was announced again, and I once more took my first-class seat ahead of the general passengers.

The aircraft for my San Francisco-bound flight was a Boeing 777-300ER, commonly referred to as the “Triple.”

Its first-class section featured private semi-enclosed suites, a level of luxury I had only ever seen on TV.

Upon seeing my seat, I couldn’t help but think, “So this is what a first-class seat really looks like…”

The suite included a glasses holder and complimentary Sony noise-canceling headphones. It had all sorts of features that made me wonder if they were really necessary, but I found myself accepting them with the thought, “This is first class—this level of excess is the true luxury.”

About 30 minutes after takeoff, a flight attendant brought me a welcome drink.

I had planned to avoid alcohol, but for the sake of the experience, I ordered a small glass of champagne.

During dinner service, Krug champagne was offered. The flight attendant, displaying top-tier hospitality, also served a glass of water alongside it.

I hadn’t even asked for it!

For my meal, I chose the Japanese option from the menu, and I was served an authentic kaiseki-style meal.

After finishing my meal, I found myself feeling peckish. It might have been the equivalent of late-night hours back on the ground.

I ordered Ippudo’s miso ramen.

“Why do they have everything on this flight?” I thought to myself.

As I prepared to sleep, a flight attendant came over and set my seat into a fully flat bed position.

Despite being described as a simple bed setup, it featured bedding from Tokyo Nishikawa and pajamas specially designed for first-class passengers.

While preparing my bed, the flight attendant chatted with me, mentioning that Narita Airport has a dedicated check-in counter exclusively for first-class passengers and top-tier mileage members with Diamond status. Because of its location, it’s colloquially referred to as “Z Residence.”

Apparently, these high-status travelers are handed a warm towel upon check-in and then escorted straight to the Suite Lounge, where they can enjoy unparalleled luxury.

Determined to reach that level myself someday, I thanked the flight attendant for the information.

For some reason, that young, beautiful flight attendant handed me her business card and contact information. Not realizing the implication, I simply thought, “First-class service really is top-tier. The flight attendants must take responsibility for their passengers.”

With that mistaken conclusion, I nodded to myself in satisfaction.