Asian Addicts Anonymous

So we all know that Kim Jun is Donghae’s father. We also all know that Donghae obviously didn’t go home to the states. When will the other characters figure this stuff out? You have to wonder. Anna is rescued in the nick of time by Pil Jae and Donghae and his mother are invited to live with the Lee’s since Tae Hoon will be staying with his in-laws once again.

We open with Donghae barging into Hye Sook’s office. He apologizes for being rude, but he needs Hye Sook’s promised help as his mother has gone missing. Jun bids his wife farewell – they will finish the talk about reconciling and starting over at home. After Jun leaves, Hye Sook asks what happened and Donghae explains and asks Hye Sook to have the hotel employees keep an eye out for Anna since she last saw James at their hotel. Hye Sook agrees to this and then asks for Anna’s name. Of course Donghae gives his mother’s American name. Does Anna even remember her Korean one? Boy, Jun left a little too early. He could have found the woman he’s been looking for for the past 27 years. Do Jin comes in wondering what Donghae is doing there and Hye Sook informs him that Donghae has lost Anna and to tell the employees to be on the lookout for her.

Definitely not what Do Jin expected. After Donghae rushes out, Do Jin sits down and complains about disliking Donghae. Hye Sook scolds her son and tells him that a good hotelier must help every guest, besides the hotel and Donghae’s family have been involved with each other several times already. Yeah, but Do Jin still instinctively hates him. [Instant animosity over Saewa and the fact that Donghae is Jun’s son, too? When Do Jin finds out I can only imagine how bad its going to get between the two.] Hye Sook apologizes for not being the best of mothers and neglecting Do Jin for so long. She also tells him that Jun wants a second chance to try to make their family work. Hye Sook wants to try also. Looks like her husband didn’t have to say too much to convince her. Is starting over a good move especially when we the audience know what’s coming?

Pil Jae quickly gets to the apartment where Anna was being held only to find it empty. He asks the “handkerchief lady” to wait as he will definitely save her. He’s so cool. He then rushes back out to the van where he talks of how the criminal must be aware of his bad temper. The man then spills that they were taking Anna to the wharf as they were selling her to China, so off they speed. Meanwhile, Donghae runs into Jun at the elevator. Jun asks Donghae about what is happening and Donghae gives him the general gist of it before getting a call saying that there is a lead on Anna’s whereabouts. Donghae then quickly rushes out of the elevator and Jun watches him leave with an interesting expression. Is it worry for this young man that he knows relatively little about? A strange father-son connection? Ah, so many missed opportunities and almost revelations get to be frustrating.

Pil Jae has found the van that Anna is in. He double checks with the criminal that it is indeed his accomplice and the two begin a high speed chase. Pil Jae finally manages to get around the van and cuts off the driver. When the driver tries to run, Pil Jae easily captures him and quickly checks on Anna who is terrified. Pil Jae tells her not to worry as he is a police officer and holds out is hand and asks her to take it. The shaking Anna does and they have a nice moment. I am so shipped on this couple! That night Donghae rushes back home to see if Anna has been found. Pil Jae and his mother are right behind him. Instead of happily embracing his returned mother, Donghae begins crying and asking why she just didn’t stay lost. You know he doesn’t mean it, but it’s frustrating for the boy as he strives so hard to protect and care for his mom and she gets all caught up in James and gets herself in trouble. Anna cries and apologizes. She has Donghae, she won’t go off like that again. Hopefully she’ll keep this promise.

Donghae and Anna then get up and thank the Lees for all of their care and help. Sun Ok and Kang Jae then invite the two to stay and eat dinner as no one has really eaten all day. Donghae doesn’t want to impose, but the entire Lee family insist that they stay. They all sit down to eat and Bongi gives an encourage speech about eating and becoming strong. Anna smiles at Bongi and Pil Jae stares across at Anna and smiles. So cute. So, so cute. The Lees may be poor and down on their luck, but they are the embodiment of what a good, caring family is. Looks like they will adopting Donghae and Anna into their family. I can’t wait for Donghae and Bongi’s relationship to take off. How long will we wait for that, I wonder?

At the Kim house, Saewa is there as Jun apologizes for being a bad husband and father. He feels especially ashamed when he thinks of how he’s treated Hye Sook all of these years. Jun then vows to work hard to become a good father-in-law. This surprises everyone. Hye Sook asks if he approves the marriage and Jun has no complaints since Do Jin loves Saewa and Hye Sook approves. He then asks his song to go hiking with him. This makes Do Jin happy. They are starting to become a family now. Do Jin does warn his father that if he makes Hye Sook cry again, Do Jin won’t let him off. Hye Sook then asks Do Jin to arrange a meeting with Saewa’s mother as its about time the two families meet. This won’t go well at all.

Do Jin drives Saewa home and gives her a kiss goodnight which Sool Nyeo who is coming home with some groceries happens to see. Sool Nyeo freaks out and rushes over to ask what is going on. Saewa then introduces the two and quickly tries to send Do JIn off, but Sool Nyeo invites him in for coffee and he happily accepts much to Saewa’s horror. It’s not like she can keep her family hidden. Do Jin tells his family history and Sool Nyeo and Sae Young are impressed. When they make a fuss about the hotel, Saewa does try to hush them up a bit. Sool Nyeo is a little taken back when she learns that Kim Jun is Do Jin’s father. That’s great, nothing like having enemies become family in a way. Sool Nyeo is happy to hear that the Kim family approves of Saewa. Sool Nyeo brags up her eldest daughter when Tae Hoon comes in. He is introduced to Do Jin and then unceremoniously sent away to take care of menial tasks. It’s easy to see that Tae Hoon’s position has been usurped by Do Jin who comes from a better background with money.

At the Lees, dinner is over and Donghae hands over the money he made from selling his house in the states. It’s not enough to cover the loss of the truckload of cabbages, but he will somehow pay the Lees back all that he owes. Sun Ok wishes to know when, but Donghae can’t say for sure. Kang Jae asks about finding his father and Donghae says he will think about it later. Kang Jae then invites the mother and son to live with them until Donghae can find a job and get on his feet. Sun Ok is reluctant at first as she wants to keep Tae Hoon’s room open for him again, but Pil Jae, Bongi, and Songi jump at the invitation as well. Donghae initially refuses, but has to cave to the Lee family’s prodding. Pil Jae goes into his and Song Yi’s room to rejoice at the woman of his dreams moving in next door. Song Yi comes in and listens in through the wall. Pil Jae then wonders if Song Yi is starting to like boys already. Song Yi changes that subject and asks isn’t Anna a little weird? Pil Jae refutes this and says she isn’t weird, but pure. Awww.

In their new room, Donghae makes Anna promise that she will never leave his side again. Anna swears that she won’t. Donghae then says it will take him some time probably, but he will find his father. Sun Ok then goes to Sool Nyeo’s and lets them know that the kids can stay there for the time being. Sool Nyeo doesn’t like Sun Ok’s attitude in this, and comments on how bad it is. Sun Ok doesn’t rise too much to the bait this time and offers some food for them. Sool Nyeo then announces that Saewa is getting married. She doesn’t tell Sun Ok that Saewa’s fiance is Kim Jun’s son, though. I think she is afraid of a big blowup. It will put more strain on the already strained relationship between the Lees and Yoons.

Bongi is up early and helping to get breakfast since Sun Ok went to visit Sool Nyeo when Donghae comes in. The two have an awkward, cute relationship right now. I just love the scenes with them alone together. Bongi asks why he is up so early – does he need anything? Donghae replies that isn’t the case, he’s just getting to know the house. He looks around at the stuff that Bongi has ready and begins asking her questions about what she’s cooking. As he does this, he gets quite close and when Bongi turns away from the stove, they almost kiss! This sends them to opposite sides of the small kitchen. LMAO. Again, I repeat, I love how these two are right now. It’s that new couple awkward stage. Start dating already!!!!

We get more cuteness with Pil Jae and Anna. Pil Jae is almost caught listening outside her door, but he quickly moves and starts hitting his punching bag. He’s exercising. Innocent Anna doesn’t think anything is amiss. She happily greets him and goes in to use the rest room, Pil Jae then starts grinning and rolling around on the bench like an idiot in his happiness. Sun Ok catches him doing this when she returns and wonders just what the heck is wrong with her in-law. The family then gathers for breakfast and they complement Donghae on his cooking skills. Sun Ok wonders when he will repay them, and Donghae promises as soon as he can find a job. Kang Jae and Bongi quickly wave this off. There’s no hurry. Kang Jae then invites Donghae to work with him delivering cabbages. Donghae quickly accepts, but has a few things to take care of, so he cannot start until the next day.

Donghae’s thing he needs to take care of is going to Saewa’s station. Not to see Saewa, but to see the PD of the show that he ruined. The PD angrily says that there’s no way in hell that he’ll let Donghae back on air – no sane broadcasting company would – plus, the man is no longer the PD of that show. He now does a cooking show or something. Poor Donghae, he screwed up that chance. Meanwhile, Do Jin tells his mother about a cooking show that is to help promote Korean food. It will be a cooking challenge and KTM broadcasting [where Jun and Saewa work] has sent out notices to all the hotels in Seoul about sending their chefs to compete. It could be a promising promotion for the hotel, which is good as their food services keep slipping in sales. At this moment, Hye Sook’s assistant comes in with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Jun. Hye Sook is ticked pink. It’s her first time ever receiving something like that from Jun.

Hye Sook then calls Donghae who informs her that Anna has been found. He reveals that Anna went off with a strange man who offered to help her find his father. Hye Sook then asks Donghae to come to the hotel to look at their CCTV footage to see if he can’t spot his father. Donghae quickly agrees and rushes from the station just as Saewa is getting ready to leave to pick up her mom and sister. She’s on the phone saying that she will make sure that she and her family make it to dinner on time. She freaks when she spots Donghae, but since she didn’t get a good enough look, she shrugs it off as seeing things.

At the Yoon household, Saewa cautions her mother to behave properly and not talk as much as she usually does. Sool Nyeo then asks Sae Young to leave Tae Hoon at home. Sae Young doesn’t want to, but Sool Nyeo doesn’t want Tae Hoon knowing just who Do Jin’s father is as of yet. It could only bring trouble. Tae Hoon was in the room getting ready to go when he overhears Sool Nyeo complaining about how pathetic he is. He has no job, no money, and even though he graduated from a prestigious law school, he has failed the bar several times already. This really bums him out that his mother-in-law finds him so lacking. When Sae Young goes in to tell him to stay home, he quickly cuts her off and says that he will stay behind as he isn’t feeling well. This relieves his wife and she doesn’t hide it well. Seriously? Tae Hoon does deserve better and I don’t blame him for complaining of this treatment after everyone leaves.

Donghae arrives at the hotel to find a depressed Bongi carrying a box of goods to the kitchen. He tells Bongi why he is there and then asks why she looks so down. Bongi reveals that she is likely to get fired as she couldn’t complete the test since her ingredient went missing. Donghae then recalls what he saw and reports it to Bongi. When Bongi returns to the kitchen and learns that her name is at the top of the chopping listen, Bongi immediately responds that she can’t accept the results. She then reveals that she has a witness to a fellow staff member throwing out the ingredient. Head Chef asks who, but Bongi refuses to say it was Sun Ae. Instead, she gets down on her knees and begs to be allowed to complete the test.

Do Jin is in his mom’s office as they prepare for the dinner when Donghae arrives. Do Jin is livid that Donghae is there again and very unhappy that his mom is allowing Donghae to view the hotel’s security tapes, but Do Jin has no say in the matter. Donghae waits in the lobby where the excited Bongi meets him and tells him that she got a second chance at survival thanks to him. Donghae is relieved to hear this and even gives her advice on how to cook the sea cucumbers. The security man then comes and takes the two of them back to view the footage.

In typical drama fashion, Bongi and Donghae leaves just as the Yoon’s arrive, thus they miss meeting each other. The trio of girls get up to the restaurant in the hotel first and Sool Nyeo excuses herself to wash her hands. Hye Sook leaves her son and husband at the entrance to use the rest room, too. She and Sool Nyeo meet and the claws are unsheathed as sparks fly. Hye Sook warns Sool Nyeo that she can be thrown out of the hotel and Sool Nyeo threatens the same right back not knowing that Hye Sook is Do Jin’s mother. Oh, this won’t go well all. Sool Nyeo leaves the bathroom first and gets to the private room. She introduces herself Jun and goes to sit down when Hye Sook arrives. Sool Nyeo immediately freaks and hides her face. Saewa introduces Sae Young to Hye Sook who greets the young girl warmly. She then asks what Sool Nyeo is doing. Saewa quickly drags her mother up and Hye Sook gets a shock as well. And in the CCTV room, just as they are about to see Lee Jun’s face next to Kang Jae’s at the elevator, the episode ends.

I want more Bongi-Donghae and Anna-Pil Jae moments. I just can’t help it.