Asian Addicts Anonymous

The penultimate episode brings us no closer to a resolution of our non-love-triangle triangle.

Episode 10: I’ll Protect You

So…Tachibana runs around like crazy looking for Sakura. He goes to the batting cages and her apartment, and even calls her like crazy. Just where is she? Sakura finally answers his call and tells him she’s on the roof. Tachibana rushes up to find her stargazing. She has him lie down beside her and at first the two chat about how they haven’t looked at the stars in awhile. Sakura begins asking him questions about constellations and things are relatively normal. However, when Sakura notices her ring, she gets quiet. She then talks about Hiroto’s betrayal and how she should have known that it wasn’t for real considering they were too unbalanced. She slips off the ring and puts it in her pocket.

Tachibana reminds Sakura that it’s her birthday and asks if they shouldn’t have their own celebration. The two go down to their respective apartments. Tachibana is tasked with bringing the beer and snacks. When Sakura enters her apartment, Hiroto has it all decked out. Her bell rings  and she answers it only to immediately shut the door in his face. He tells her that he may have approached her with bad intentions, but he honestly loves her now. It’s not the end for them is it? Enter Tachibana who tells Hiroto to leave and the dejected boy does.

In Sakura’s apartment, Tachibana starts cleaning up all of Hiroto’s thoughtful decorations. Sakura assures him it’s okay and that he should just eat and drink with her. Tachibana says that it bothers him and keeps cleaning. Sakura then thanks him as she doesn’t know how she would get through this without him. She then lies and says she is just kidding. But you know she isn’t and that touches Tachibana. He finishes throwing the last of the decorations into his apartment and comes back to find her asleep. Tachibana tucks Sakura into bed and goes home to his apartment where he punches one of the balloons to vent his anger while Hiroto finally gets up and leaves the front of the building.

This feeling…should I say it or deny it?

At work, everyone is worried about Sakura, but she comes in with Tachibana like normal. She spaces out some, but forces herself to be her normal cheerful self. Tachibana tells the workers that it will take time for Sakura to return completely to normal and asks them all to be there for her like always. Meanwhile, Hiroto demands to know why Choko did what she did. Because it doesn’t matter anymore. Besides, didn’t he and Tachibana have a deal on the sly? They are both horrible. So why didn’t she just come after Hiroto if she is angry? Because hurting Sakura hurts both him and Tachibana more, doesn’t it? She then tells him she hasn’t slept all night and pops some sleeping pills. When Hiroto expresses worry, she assures him that the doctor told her even an overdose won’t kill her. Comforting thought. We all know where this will lead, though, don’t we?

So our normal salon trio approach Sakura to go out and have fun. They take both her and Tachibana to the arcade. Sakura has fun, but always ends up recalling Hiroto. While Sakura is depressed, Kohei brings good news home to his family, he got Miki’s wedding hall as there was a last minute cancellation. The catch? It’s in two weeks time! Miki’s happiness is tempered by this being unfair to Sakura. Kohei says that if they did not take this time, there wouldn’t be another available opening in more than a year. Yikes. Thus they go ahead and start making their plans.

Miki and the girls go out for a spa treatment and Sakura tells Miki she will be doing the hair and makeup for the wedding, Miki agrees to this and Shima chimes in that Sakura must to hers as well. Shima then asks about Hiroto. Sakura hasn’t seen nor talked to him since that day. Miki says that she doesn’t believe Hiroto is 100% bad as the day of his performance, he was really concerned for Sakura. Miki believes he has genuine feelings. Sakura says nothing more than she can’t help but feel hurt, but she will get over this in time. You got to love how at this moment she isn’t even trying to work things through or listen. Yes, it was very bad of Hiroto to approach her with an ulterior motive, but surely she should realize he wouldn’t propose just for Chiyoko.

The day of Shima’s omiai dawns and Ken’s place is crowded with males queuing up to meet her. Shima comes out and asks all men who wish to sleep with her on site to raise their hands. Almost all of them go up. Shima then rejects them as she isn’t looking for a bed partner, but a man who she can share her life with and care about what is inside. For the rest of the men she does a quick game of rock-paper-scissors. This leaves only one man left as the rest are kicked out. Kondo Suguru is a very nervous man wearing spectacles. Shima immediately asks him to start dating and he agrees. As he leaves SOBAR he’s tripping over and running into everything. Poor boy. Ken wonders if deciding things like this is really okay. Shima says it is as she wishes to prove to Sakura that it doesn’t matter how a relationship starts. Shima is right for the most part.

At the Takenouchi house, Miki has made her husband a special tofu hamburger dinner to help with his diabetes problem. Mrs. Takenouchi then brings up if Miki was aware that these two vegetables are good for this and that. Miki says she wasn’t, but that she also did research on what to make for her husband. She then goes back into the kitchen and sets herself a plate just like Kohei’s. Awww, she’s eating the same food he is being forced to. It’s nice of her.

It’s the mundane day to day things that make for a couple’s love.

Sakura is at a bar eating with Tachibana and the salon gang. They encourage her to go karaoke with them. Sakura says she is out of energy and thanks them for trying to cheer her up. They assure her they aren’t doing that just to cheer her up, but because they want to hear her sing. This leads to some back and forth with Tachibana and Sakura and who sings worst. Sakura then gets up to leave with the gang when Hiroto enters. He asks her to talk to him while the others try to get him to leave. Hiroto once more says he approached her for the wrong reasons, but really fell for her. If he wins the championship, will she date him once more? Sakura can only apologize and rush out. Tachibana goes to follow Sakura and stops to tell Hiroto that just seeing the younger man hurts Sakura. He won’t hurt her and can make her happy…the same can’t be said for Hiroto can it? He then leaves.

Shima is on her date with Kondo. The man is shaking like a leaf and being all klutzy. Shima finds this adorable and tries to stifle her laughter. She asks him why he chose to go to her omiai. Because he was sick of himself and wanted to change—he thought being with a woman like Shima would help. Shima also asserts that she wishes to change. Kondo starts relaxing a bit and things calm down. Here’s hoping it works out for Shima this time.

Sakura and Tachibana get back to their apartment building and look at their mail. In Sakura’s box is a single red rose. She immediately recalls her and Hiroto’s romantic date at the hotel. Tachibana goes to throw the flower out, but Sakura won’t let him. This makes him made and he goes up to his apartment. Sakura decides to keep the rose and every day for the next several days, Hiroto leaves her another one until her vase is full. She then emails him a picture of the roses and asks to meet with him to talk things over.

Hiroto is practicing when he gets the message and happily goes to rush off. Enter Choko. He can’t seriously be going to see Sakura, can he? Hiroto yells out that he is serious about Sakura and doesn’t wish to lose her. Choko then threatens to take the entire bottle of sleeping pills if he sees Sakura. So…if it won’t kill her, what does it matter if she eats them all at this point? She then crouches down and cries about how she can’t lose him as she doesn’t want to be alone any more. Crazy Choko…you do realize it’s your own fault that you are alone? You refused to have your scar fixed, refused to go after a normal love and unhealthily stalked someone and tried to control their relationship with another person. So…how is it Hiroto’s fault if he chooses to be happy because he has the chance?

Anywho, so Sakura is all depressed because Hiroto stands her up. Yeah. Of course he’s going to choose crazy girl because this wouldn’t be a drama without the male lead choosing some crazy chick over the woman they love for whatever reason.

Just as my heart had recovered, it’s broken again.

Sakura is going over plans for taking care of Miki’s big day with her staff when a fax comes announcing Tachibana’s transfer to the NY branch. Sakura and crew are shocked and Sakura storms out of the salon to confront Tachibana at his apartment. He reveals that he put in the transfer request, but didn’t expect it to be overseas. He also says Sakura will get what she always wanted with him out of the picture. Sakura doesn’t care about that. He’s only been there for three months—WHY is he leaving? When he remains silent, she angrily goes to storm out only to have him yell out asking what he’s supposed to do.

Then what am I supposed to do!? The woman I love is marrying another man and doing nothing but staring at the ring he gave her.

Sakura pauses and looks back. Tachibana tells her to just leave and she does without looking back. I think that kind of surprised and hurt Tachibana. Sakura goes to SOBAR and Ken asks her what her feelings are for Tachibana. Sakura asserts it’s not love…she just is accustomed to having him by her side. Plus, she sees him more as family. Ken tells her that there is different kinds of love. There is the passionate love, but also can’t understanding each other and being comfortable with each other be a form of love as well? Ken then also says he is not pushing the two into a relationship at all, but just wishes for Sakura to think about it.

Sakura leaves the bar and runs into the thugs from earlier who beat Hiroto up at his one tournament (Momo’s older brother and friends). They immediately surround her and start picking at her. Tachibana arrives at SOBAR and Ken says it is strange that he didn’t bump into Sakura. Thus, Tachibana goes looking for her and saves her from getting hit in the knick of time. We then get this scene with Sakura and Tachibana awkwardly fighting the thugs. Hiroto happens upon this sight and goes to rush in until he sees just how far Tachibana is going to protect Sakura. Sigh. We all know where this is going, ne?

Sakura takes the injured Tachibana back to her place and apologizes for him getting involved in the matter. Tachibana says it isn’t her fault. Sakura then apologizes once more for getting him involved as it really is her fault since it’s because of her and Hiroto’s relationship. Tachibana is annoyed. WHY does everyone insist this has nothing to do with him? He’s in love with her so doesn’t that mean it’s his problem, too? Sakura, uncomfortable with the topic, tries to change it, but Tachibana pulls her into a hug. He was just going to stand back, but can’t do that anymore. He then asks Sakura to come with him to New York. Interesting.

The next day at work Sakura tells Tachibana that she will be meeting with Hiroto to talk to him and get things cleared up. Tachibana isn’t happy, but does his best to hide this from her. Sakura goes home and calls up Hiroto asking him to meet her. Hiroto does and then does what well all expect him to do—he lies. He says that everything in their relationship was a lie as no young man would ever love such a woman as her. How could she be fooled again by him? He walks away leaving the hurt Sakura in the pouring rain.

Tachibana pouts in SOBAR and Ken chides him for letting Sakura meet with Hiroto. Tachibana replies he can’t take someone who is confused with him. So when is he leaving? In about a week or so. That quick? Ken will miss him. On his way home, Tachibana catches the zombie-like Sakura walking in the pouring rain. He rushes up to her and asks what is wrong. Sakura collapses to her knees and he pulls her into a hug.

End episode.

Previews for our finale don’t reveal too much. Who will it be? Tachibana or Hiroto (or no one)? We’ll have to wait and see.

And now to complain. Yes, Sakura was hurt and shocked. Hiroto at least tried to talk to her while Sakura was all just…meh. She didn’t even try talking to him for awhile and just talked about how she’s hurt now, she’ll remember their time with fondness, etc. Girl…can you say you love someone without even doing anything about it? Of course when she does try to talk, Choko has already gotten her claws into Hiroto. This is why she should have talked to him sooner rather than later. And Hiroto, I don’t care about much he loves and feels guilty about Choko, that is kind of stupid to throw away your own happiness because your screwed up sister refuses to even TRY to get beyond her scars and emotional problems.