Asian Addicts Anonymous

We open episode 11 with Man Ok leaving Bum Soo’s place wondering if Tae Ik will really be all right. She then gets a surprise call from Joon and heads over to the office. Once there Joon tells her to start coming back to work starting tomorrow. Say what? Joon explains Kang Hwi will be starting a full schedule from the next day on and her services as a stylist are once again needed. Man Ok replies she doesn’t want to work for U Entertainment again. Joon laughs. Did she forget she owes a debt to him and company? Man Ok then says she thought the debt was paid off by her doing the contract engagement. Isn’t that what Joon told her himself? Joon laughs. Did he now? Scumbag. You know Joon will renege on anything he said to get what he wants.

Joon says that paper is more important than words. There is nothing written proving Joon said that. Man Ok is annoyed by this. Joon continues and says verbal contracts are particularly hard to enforce, thus why written contracts are preferred (it’s true, verbal statements/agreements/contracts are ever rarely upheld even in courts with witnesses). Man Ok insists there was a witness to the contract. Oh, does she mean Tae Ik? By all means, call him and bring him here. D’oh. That’s just what Man Ok CAN’T do. If she’s so against working there, she needs to pay the debt immediately. If she can’t, then she must come back and work. Man Ok angrily goes to leave and Joon says he’s giving her one week to make up her mind. Man Ok leaves the office and starts cussing the president out calling him all sorts of names and then saying she is Jang Man Ok with a 50-year tradition in Hapkido. She then throws her luggage to the ground and angrily goes to storm off. She then stops and goes back for her luggage. Meanwhile, Tae Ik has arrived at Man Ok’s house and is looking around before carefully knocking on the door and calling for Jang Man. No answer.

We then cut to the phone call scene where Tae Ik complains about the bugs and Man Ok has no sympathy. She had told him to follow her earlier hadn’t she? We then get her insisting she’s home and Tae Ik’s insisting that she’s lying. Tae Ik’s BS comment was so cute as was Man Ok’s surprise at it. She then asks him how can he be certain that she isn’t home when he can’t see it to confirm it. He says he can see her now that she’s arrived at her door. Man Ok starts looking around and there sits Tae Ik on the bench. He cooly approaches and then asks to sleep there. Heehee. Her bugeyed expression of shock.

Man Ok starts setting up a tent in the dojo. What is she doing? She’s putting up Tae Ik’s “private quarters.” LOL. Tae Ik demands to have her room instead, but Man Ok tells him that she’s the owner now and this is where he’ll stay. Man Ok screams at the retreating Tae Ik to stop. How dare he try to get into her room? If he doesn’t like the tent, then he can go back to Bum Soo’s. But will he be okay with the cockroaches? What if one crawls on his beautiful body? Man Ok then starts making bug sounds. Now it’s Tae Ik’s turn to yell at her to stop and go ahead with making him his own tent room. I LOVE how Man Ok knows how to handle this boy. Man Ok finishes the tent and smiles. She says it’s all cushy and good and drags the unhappy Tae Ik in. Hmm, it really is not bad. It will do for a night. Only a night? Is Tae Ik going back to Bum Soo’s in the morning?

Tae Ik shoots her a horrified look. Is she crazy? He said that house isn’t fit for humans. Man Ok smiles broadly and tells him to just stay with her in the meantime then. She then tells him it’s not for free. Tae Ik says he will of course pay rent. Man Ok tells him that’s a given for staying in someone else’s house. Tae Ik thinks for a bit…wait a minute—Man Ok didn’t pay rent when she lived at his house (after all the housework she did for the three bratty stars? I’d say she earned her bread and lodging). Man Ok tells him that’s not the same thing since she was forced into exile because of Tae Ik’s problem while Tae Ik voluntarily came to her house. So please stay for a long time so she can make lots of money. Tae Ik picks up on that last comment happily. She wants him to stay for a long time? Such a cute little puppy uri Tae Ik-ssi. Man Ok again reiterates that she does so she can earn money, but the atmosphere starts getting heavy and awkward. We flash back to their kiss scene. The two look at each other and Tae Ik starts leaning towards her. Man Ok quickly leaves and tells him to rest well. Tae Ik nods and then wonders why he’s like that. He then asks her retreating back why she’s blushing. In her room, Man Ok is trying to convince herself NOT to fall for Tae Ik because he is a star who will only hurt her in the long run. Awwww. That’s not true. Tae Ik will do his darndest to NOT hurt her. Not fair. Pouts.

Kang Hwi is walking the annex alone at night  following the glow-in-the-dark trail Man Ok left him when he was in hiding to avoid Tae Ik’s security cameras. He sits down and stares at a star. He wishes to see her, his real star. The lights come on and Se Ryeong comes in. She complains about him sitting in the dark there giving her a fright. She then notices the star sticker and goes to pick it up off the floor. Tae Ik grabs her wrist and tells her not to touch it. If she takes any of them off the floor, he will not leave her alone. He then gets up and leaves while Se Ryeong complains about his childishness of putting the stars on the floor. She really, really hates him. In the basement, Kang Hwi stares at the last text he received from Man Ok while in Japan and wonders when she’ll actually call since he misses her so much. Sniffle. Poor Kang Hwi-nim.

Man Ok then gets a call from Tae Ik in the middle of the night. He tells her that there’s something weird about the tent. Say what? He’s afraid something will creep out at him. There wouldn’t be bugs like at Bum Soo hyung’s place would there? Man Ok scolds him for finding faults and imagining things instead of going to sleep. She tells him to quickly lie down. Tae Ik does so. Close his eyes. Tae Ik closes his eyes. Now what? Sleep well. What? This isn’t right. Shouldn’t she at least sing him a song? Teehee. So cute. Man Ok replies she already told him to lie down and close his eyes. That’s enough. Tae Ik springs up. No it isn’t. He laid down, he closed his eyes, but he’s still awake. Man Ok has been walking out to the dojo the entire time and unzips the tent, frightening him and says he’s not doing what she told him at all (he really did earlier, though, lol).

She then orders him out as she has a technique to make him fall asleep. The two get on mats in the dojo. Man Ok tells him to bring his heels together and clap his feet. Tae Ik gets up. No thank you. He’s lazy and doesn’t want to. Man Ok scolds him for going when she’s trying to teach him an exercise to help him sleep. Tae Ik says it would be better to just count sheep since the posture is too much for a hallyu star. He walks away and Man Ok threatens to take him back to Bum Soo’s if he complains about not being able to sleep again. Tae Ik goes back to the tent and says Man Ok is obviously crazy. He then hits his heels together. Then he slowly puts his legs in the proper posture and gets an odd look on his face. He then turns his head, sees something and screams. What? What? What?

The next morning a frantic Bum Soo calls Man Ok saying there’s big trouble as Tae Ik has disappeared once more. Say what? Bum Soo explains he woke up and Tae Ik and his luggage were gone. Man Ok feels bad as she forgot to call Bum Soo. She then reveals Tae Ik came to her house and apologizes for not telling him sooner. Bum Soo then is relieved. He says it will be difficult to look after Tae Ik, but please take care of him. Man Ok promises and tells him not to worry. Man Ok hangs up and hears a vacuum-like noise coming from the dojo. What is that? She rushes out and finds men all in white fumigating the place. Just what is going on? Tae Ik replies that he felt itchy all night and is having the place thoroughly cleaned to get rid of all the stuff he’s allergic to. Isn’t that expensive? They charge 13,000 won per pyung. Man Ok does the calculations. That’s REALLY expensive. How will Tae Ik pay? He has no money so of course Man Ok should pay being she is the landlord. This is the least she can do for her new tenant. Man Ok screams for everyone to stop and then ushers them out of the house apologizing. I guess Tae Ik forgot she didn’t have money.

Man Ok turns on Tae Ik—he did that on purpose didn’t he? No, he just wanted to foster an environment for his body. He then tells her he heard the bug sounds in a corner the other night. Man Ok tells him that’s nonsense as her dojo is very clean. But she says that she’ll let him foster the perfect environment for his body. Really? So he can call the clinic back in to finish cleaning? Man Ok smiles deeply and then returns with a vacuum cleaner. Nope. Tae Ik can do it all himself. Tae Ik says he’s never done anything like that before. Man Ok tells him its time to start and hands it over. She then replies that it’s been a long time since the window sills were cleaned, so he’d better do that too. Is she out of her mind? Nope, she’s completely awake and in her right mind thanks to the fumigators. She then tells him to clean everything spotless and she’ll do all the laundry and cooking and she goes back off to sleep. Tae Ik puts the cleaner down and looks around the dojo. He looks totally lost. Meanwhile, Bum Soo is doing his level best to get Tae Ik into a new company. I love Bum Soo, I just do.

Tae Ik vacuums and cleans and throws himself down on the floor of his tent. Cleaning is obviously not something that humans can do. LOL. Riiiight. I’m with him, cleaning is hard work and sucks, but it needs to be done whether you like it or not. Man Ok comes out and says that it looks like the cleaning is all done. Good job, he must have suffered a lot. She then tells him to hurry and wash up as they are going out to eat. Tae Ik tells her that they should just eat at home since people will recognize him (and I thought they were both broke). Man Ok says she’s an expert at transformations so hurry and wash up so they can eat. Her transformation is putting Tae Ik in striped hoodie pulled tightly under his chin. He is also not too keen on the dishes brought out. Man Ok explains the restaurant has a 50-year tradition with a foul-mouthed grandmother. She also explains it’s all organic. This catches his attention and he goes to try it, but he can’t bring himself to do it. He complains that it isn’t food meant for humans and the foul-mouthed woman throws down her butchers knife and gripes. This makes Tae Ik immediately try it and next thing you know he’s wolfing it down with Man Ok happily smiling.

The two then go to a market where a stall ahjumma calls Tae Ik a tall young woman. Tae Ik looks around and then points at himself. The woman nods. Oh, so he isn’t an agasshi. Then he’s a newly wed bride! Snort. Are you kidding me? Hahaha. Poor Tae Ik. She then tells him to buy mackerel as Tae Ik’s husband will like it. Tae Ik can’t believe this. He deepens his voice and says he is not a woman and walks away. Man Ok then has fun teasing him about this incident. She then sees a half off sign at a hair dresser. Tae Ik cannot believe she’s thinking of taking him there for his hair. Man Ok replies it’s for her own hair. Tae Ik doesn’t want to wait in a crowded place for her. She tells him to go on home, but he says he doesn’t know the way. She asks if he’s stupid and this gets Tae Ik angry and he walks off with Man Ok smiling and waving bye.

He gets home and gripes about her sassy acting when he runs into the little boy from an earlier episode who brought him to Man Ok’s dojo to put in his dislocated shoulder. The little boy calls him master’s husband. What? Husband? Little boy says that master fixed Tae Ik’s arm and they got married. He saw it on TV. Tae Ik firmly denies this. So…he’s not her husband? This makes the little boy happy to hear. His master is still single! He rushes over to the dojo calendar and writes down his “wife’s” birthday. Just who is the little boy’s wife? Master. Tae Ik cannot believe this. Does the kid know the age difference? It doesn’t matter as all men young and old are all immature. He then tells Tae Ik that he’s a bad man for not knowing when Man Ok’s birthday is. That’s why master kicked him to the curb. LOL. Ahhh, children are so much fun sometimes. The little boy leaves in disgust and Tae Ik yells at him to stay. It’s just not his day. Tae Ik looks back at the calendar and notices that Man Ok’s birthday is tomorrow.

Joon arrives with Se Ryeong and Hwa Ming while Go Dong tries to wake Kang Hwi up saying there is a guest. Kang Hwi comes up and is startled to see Hwa Ming, head of brand WIN. Joon goes to introduce them, but Hwa Ming cuts him off. She looks at Kang Hwi and happily says she wanted to see him (in Korean). She holds out her hand and Kang Hwi just stares. Se Ryeong comments on his lack of manners and Kang Hwi shakes himself out of his stupor and shakes her hand. They sit down and Joon tells Kang Hwi about Hwa Ming requesting both Kang Hwi and Se Ryeong be her models for their Korean launch. Kang Hwi says he’s sorry, but he has no plans of doing anything but singing. He also replies that he doesn’t have much time left and walks off after apologizing. Joon says he will try to talk to him and Se Ryeong calls him crazy.

Hwa Ming runs after him and asks to talk to him. He asks how things are and we learn his father’s health isn’t the best right now. She says she is relieved to see he is living and doing well. Kang Hwi stops and calls her noona. The main family will not like it if she’s close to him. Ji Ming and his stepmother really don’t like it. Hwa Ming then tells him that doesn’t matter. She takes his hand and asks him to help her and stand on her stage as this is her dream. We flashback to the young Hwa Ming making him a Chinese-style vest. Kang Hwi says her clothes are the best and she says she is happiest making clothes for him to wear. Awww, so cute. Please tell me his sister is NOT his first love. The flashback ends and Kang Hwi pulls her into a hug.

Man Ok leaves the hairdresser with a new, straightened ‘do. Okay, I shall stop here and say there is WAY too much volume on that ‘do for her tiny face. It’s not very flattering at all. She glances up and sees the news story that fashion icon Kang Hwi has been chosen as the main model for Win. End episode.

I’m soooo waiting for Tae Ik’s octopus scene and grandpa returning home. I’m also curious to know what will happen to the love triangle which is not a love triangle. Kang Hwi-nim better not go bad.