Asian Addicts Anonymous

Okay. Now…back to being only an episode behind, lol.

Tokage comes in with a package for Sota from the soy milk company. The boy is over the moon until he opens and sees that he only got a consolation prize. So…Tokage drank 50 boxes of soy milk for nothing? He tells Sota that they should give up on the soy milk, but included in the box is a new prize award for a gun. It only takes 100 boxes. Poor Tokage. Our undercover detective then asks Yanagida what Kaori is up to now (she’s sitting and putting on makeup). Kaori tells him she’s practicing makeup as they say it’s a way to get over a broken heart. Tokage then complains that she’s using too much.

We then cut to an old man who is being swindled out of money. It’s very obvious a scam, but the old man fell for it as supposedly his son was caught molesting somebody and the opposite party wished to settle out of court and needed 10 million yen. If not, his son Kazuhiro would lose his job as a teacher at an elite school. Later the man angrily calls his son to learn that it wasn’t Kazuhiro who called to begin with. The old man tells his story to Makihara and Terashima who tell him that the woman who collected the money was found murdered.

So at the usual meeting you get a breakdown of the situation. Basically this is a scheme where the top dog is never directly involved in the scam. He controls everything and there are tiers. You have the managers, the people making the calls, and the people hired to collect the money. If any of them become a liability they are murdered and new people are found to replace them. Terashima then bursts in with a connection between the murder victims is the most popular host at a certain host club. It has to do with some host club. Kishimori congratulates Terashima in a job well done for the connection as such crime against the elderly are unforgivable. Terashima asks to investigate the host club and Kishimori says that since organized crime is most likely involved such a delicate investigation is better left to someone else. Of course Makihara and Terashima are unhappy to learn Tokage is being brought in again. Yamane tries to diffuse the tension, but no such luck. It gets old fast as they are like this in every episode.

Tokage will become Nakamura Kengo and undergo and interview at the host club in order to get inside to investigate. Kaori will also play an important role. This makes her perk up until Yanagida tells her to do the same horrible makeup as before. Kaori then asks why they have so many people detained. Because Tokage really needs to pass the interview or the whole operation is a bust. We then cut to the interview where Tokage is the only one chosen (the other men there were really no competition). LOVE Matsuda Shota as a host. His appearance here reminds me of another role…but I can’t remember which one. I know he ended up working in a host club in one role… Ah, I think that was when he was playing a gangster and the woman he falls for became a hostess and he starts working in her club…for whatever reason.

Anywho, so what is Kaori’s “important” job? She is undercover as a rich client! She calls on Tokage and he compliments her necklace and when she says it was a gift from her grandfather, he asks what the old man does. Kaori replies not much. The old man owns 4 businesses and 5 apartments. This makes the host club owner smile gleefully. So she’s there as bait to set up a trap for the club. Tokage is horrified, though when Kaori requests a champagne tower. Why? It’s flipping expensive. Tokage is also surprised to see her down the champagne so fast. When she asks him to massage her shoulder he does so but leans in close to her and whispers to stop getting carried away. Abashed, Kaori apologizes. The manager Sudo watches on with the top host impressed with Kengo [Tokage] while the host is impressed with the new client.

We then cut to Tokage working a different table where #1 goes over and happily greets the client Rina who tells him she brought her friend as promised. She then hands over an envelope and says it will be the last time. #1 says they will talk about such things later and moves on. Rina’s friend asks if doing such a thing is okay and Rina says it is like a donation. This catches Tokage’s attention. Donation? Basically a bribe as the two girls are underage. Rina then asks Tokage to keep that a secret, which he promises to.

The next morning Sudo, Tokage and #1 (Seiya) are eating out after getting off of work. Sudo wishes to know why Tokage became a host. For the money of course! Tokage also vows to do his best and Sudo says that to do that you must really work the customer like Seiya. Tokage thanks him for the advice and Seiya mentions that Kaori is rich pickings. Tokage agrees and says her grandfather must be rolling in dough. Sudo then asks about the high school students and Seiya replies it has slowed some, but the better the school, the better the business. Tokage asks what business and Seiya asks if he is interested. If the money is good. Sudo then scolds Seiya and tells him not to tell a newbie like Tokage too much right away.

Tokage then breaks into the locker room at the club and opens Seiya’s locker. Inside the envelope Rina gave Seiya is a whole bunch of information, not money. Tokage then hears footsteps approaching and quickly disappears. Seiya then comes in and takes the envelope out of his locker. Back at HQ, Kaori is unhappy to learn that high schoolers are involved. Should they do something to get them to stop? Tokage stops exercising and says unless they change inside, nothing will stop them. Yanagida then expresses surprise at Seiya’s involvement. He was involved in a case several years ago. He killed someone when he was only 15 and knew he’d get away for a light sentence since he was a minor. Kaori says that Seiya seems to be a very scary man.

Seiya takes Tokage to a place with high security. Tokage carefully memorizes all the passcodes and asks Seiya if what is going on is something bad. Seiya replies it is no worse than being a host and then says Sudo has no idea about this. The two then enter the call center which is mostly filled with high school students calling up the elderly to trick them out of money. Tokage plants a device and then notices Rina who seems surprised to see him. Seiya then invites him back to his office. I don’t know why, but on his way there, Tokage counts steps. Inside the office, Seiya tells Tokage to memorize the manual and that he will need to keep a record of all conversations. Tokage quickly plants bugs and cameras and assures Seiya that he will do as told and keeps his mouth shut, too.

As usual, Kaori meets with the police team ate Café Makihara and she tells them what she learned about the high school students from a certain school being involved. Makihara and Terashima wonder why Kaori is still there after she found her missing person. She’s there because she wishes to help others and believes the Oribe [Tokage’s real name] is a good person. Enter Kishimori and Kaori asks about claiming expenses. The team are horrified to hear the costs of some of the host club services and are even more shocked to hear Kishimori give his okay to claim them as usual. Kishimori says even though it’s expensive, it is a rather small price to pay when the swindling is estimated at 15 billion yen or more.

Tokage is outside and counting steps. Looks like the math doesn’t quite add up. He then notices Rina and approaches her. Why is at the office? To see Seiya. Does her parents know that she’s out that late? They don’t care about her—they even stopped her credit card. Well…depending on how she was using the card, they could have stopped it because they cared…maybe. Tokage then goes to ask if Rina knows the business and she hushes him. If he says the wrong thing, then Tokage can end up dead. So she does know how serious a predicament she’s in. Tsk, tsk. Sudo then calls out to Tokage and asks what he is doing there…he isn’t involved with Seiya’s side business is he? Tokage says Seiya just showed him around and he asks if Sudo knows what Seiya does. Sudo isn’t 100% certain, but he’s heard the rumors and it looks like he’s not happy. But earlier…it seemed that he was involved as well…weird.

Yamane follows Kishimori to his office and asks why he’s willing to pay for such expensive drinks. Kishimori then tells him there is something even more sinister at work behind these swindling crimes and Yamane will soon discover this. Intriguing. What could it be? At the club, Kaori hands over some information to Tokage and asks if it is good, will he go out with her as promised? Of course. This is all watched by Seiya. In the locker room, Tokage hands over a customer list and the information about Kaori’s grandfather. Seiya congratulates him on a job well done and says it will be big. Seiya leaves and Tokage’s expression darkens. He turns and there is Sudo. Didn’t he say he wasn’t involved in Seiya’s business? How interesting that Tokage can lie and you can’t even tell. Sudo then asks Tokage to stay after closing.

We get this flashback of Tokage’s father teaching him about lying. He has Tokage lie about which chocolate he ate and by looking at his son’s pupils he was able to tell which one it was. Tokage found this fascinating and asked his father how one can learn to avoid detection. His father’s response? It’s simple…don’t lie! 😛

Terashima and Makihara are staking out the host club talking about the missing Rina when Terashima sees Sudo come out. Both men are shocked to see one another. Tokage asks if Sudo knows Terashima and the older man says nothing and just walks away. Out comes Kaori and she and Makihara and Terashima go to a bar where Terashima reveals he worked a case with Sudo 8 years ago. Sudo saved him from getting shot and shortly retired thereafter. Makihara thinks he was a cop on the take, but Terashima denies this. Sudo was a true detective through and through and would not be involved in shady businesses. Makihara says such trust is foolhardy. Doesn’t Terashima want to find out what happened with Modegi at long last? Terashima doesn’t reply to this and just leaves.

Sudo wishes to know what is in Tokage’s past that he can lie so convincingly. Tokage and he have a staredown. Tokage replies that it is the same past as Sudo’s. The older man replies that it isn’t and Tokage then says he knows Terashima is a cop having mixed in such a world as before. He then tells Sudo that Seiya is up to something bad. Sudo warns him that he needs to be careful who he says such things to. Tokage says he only told Sudo and then leaves to use the restroom. We then cut to Terashima visiting Shinozaki’s casino. Shinozaki refuses to go up against the boss of “that” gang. I’m assuming he means the head of the swindling operation. Terashima urges that there must be something the other man can do. Sinozaki says that just one stop out of line will put him in danger. Terashima promises to protect him to which Shinozaki scoffs, “Can the police really protect against yakuza?” Terashima then hands over an envelope of money as Tokage enters and watches from afar.

Tokage reveals that there is a secret room and Kaori wonders if they can now get a search warrant since Tokage has been invited in the ring. Tokage replies it isn’t possible until money exchanges hands. Yanagida then says they have a call center set up for anyone trying to use the info that Tokage slipped in about Kaori. The only problem is who will man it and be the “bait”? Yanagida of course! But what if Seiya recognizes him? Tokage hands over a box and says the rest is up to him. I have a feeling its makeup for a disguise.

Tokage then meets with Seiya who calls in Rina so that Tokage can give all of Kaori’s details to the high school girl. Seiya leaves and Tokage asks if Rina isn’t getting in too deep. She smiles and says she is only doing this as a favor for Seiya. Why? Because he treats her nicely. Just the other day he told her she was the only woman for him. Smells sooo fishy, doesn’t it? A typical line from a conman. Tokage asks if she really trusts Seiya. She smiles and says she does, but her eyes tell a different story. Tokage tells her he doesn’t think she really trusts the other man and then tells her she had better finish what she starts. Strange man. Afterward Tokage tells Seiya he gave Rina all the info. He then says Seiya must be happy that the business is so profitable. Seiya looks really nervous. Tokage then asks if he is the owner. Seiya lies and says he is before walking away.

Terashima goes back to Shinozaki’s club and the other man urges him to drop the case. Shinozaki says he nearly got run out of town. He hands Terashima the money back and tells him to take care. Not what Terashima wanted to hear. Terashima leaves and runs into Sudo who asks if he knows what he’s doing getting involved with Yakuza. Terashima apologizes for Sudo’s harsh criticism back when he was rounding up gangs in Anzai. He then asks why Sudo retired suddenly. Sudo won’t tell him. Terashima leaves only to have Tokage jump in his car and ask him about Sudo. Of course, Tokage believes Sudo just might be the head of the organization which makes Terashima upset.

At HQ, the call finally comes in from Rina asking for 80 million! The price shocks Tokage and team. Yanagida then gets ready and Kaori comments about how gun-ho he is for this. Tokage tells her not to speak too loudly. They then stakeout the meeting place. Yanagida is worried since Seiya is there, but he is not the one who approaches Yanagida. To stall for time, Yanagida starts counting out all of the money uncertain if he brought enough. Seeing this causes Seiya to run out and ask what the problem is Yanagida explains he wants to make sure there is enough money. Seiya assures him they will contact him if there is a problem. He then asks why Yanagida seems so familiar. Yanagida quickly lies and says he ran for an office years ago. Seiya and his accomplice then leave. Tokage follows Seiya while Kaori compliments Yanagida who gives Kishimori the green light.

Seiya returns to the office with the money where he is watched by Terashima’s team and Tokage. Once he gets into his personal office, he opens up the door to the hidden office. Tokage knew he was right. In the office is a wall of money, tons of jewelry, antiques, etc. That is all the evidence Terashima and crew need to raid the office. Terashima then calls up Sudo to warn him about the raid as payback for Sudo saving his life 8 years ago. Seiya is arrested as he leaves the building and Tokage pops out saying the boss hasn’t been caught yet. He then shows footage of the swindlers fleeing the building. Tokage then tells Seiya to go with him and Terashima demands to know what he’s plotting.

Sudo heads into the empty office where he is caught by Tokage who had actually been the one who called earlier, impersonating Terashima in order to catch the ring leader. Sudo then reveals his big sob story about how the yakuza went after his father and thus he had no choice but to turn to crime to save himself and his family. Sudo then asks who Tokage is. Tokage reveals his identity as an undercover agent. Sudo also reveals that he is not the mastermind. Until they catch the “spider” it will never end. He also reveals that the spider was the one who killed Modegi. Sudo tells Tokage to take care since he’s the target and the boss won’t let him get away. Sudo then tells Terashima to ask the old man before taking his own life. Well, that mystery just got more confusing. We then see Rina who witnessed the whole thing.

Rina visits the old man who was swindled earlier and apologizes to Shibata for being the one who helped orchestrate it. She then gives back the money. This makes the old man happy. When that is done, Rina asks to be handcuffed, but Terashima says there is no need to do so since she handed herself in. Makihara takes the girl away and Kaori says that at least things ended well. Kishimori then delivers the money to Yanagida who asks who the spider is. Kishimori replies he doesn’t know and Yanagida stares at his eyes. Is he lying?

Kaori returns to HQ and finds Tokage staring up at the sky. She tells him Rina turned herself in. She then replies that Terashima is a great guy. Tokage asks if he’s her new love and her pupils flare. Sigh. She quickly smiles and says he isn’t. Right. I kind of had a feeling she was developing a crush on Terashima. Makihara then overhears Yamane and Kishimori talking about the spider and the relationship to Modegi.

Emd episode. Next episode should have some great cute moments since Tokage is going undercover working with kids.