Asian Addicts Anonymous

What a complicated web we weave. But with only 3 episodes left, all the threads are starting to come loose and we begin to see a very complex plan and we learn more of Koya’s pain.

We open this episode with Kayoko’s story through her eyes. She was the pampered princess of her father. She obediently met with Kazushige through an omiai and the two married. Her husband was not the best husband and father, but she felt blessed by her two children…until they hit the teen years and stopped really needing her. Thus she started withdrawing from her own family. Then the scandal hits that her husband embezzled money from her father and her father urged her to divorce him and bring the children to live with him. Kayoko refuses as she doesn’t believe Kazu really did that. And that’s why she’s like she is.

Kayoko is lonely and morose and that’s why she’s trading the stocks. She buys the stocks at that her neighbors were bragging about only to have the stock crash. This was not part of Koya’s plan it seems as he was genuinely shocked that she did not give up trading stocks and face her family like she said she would. Kayoko is despondent. She has now incurred a debt of 10 million yen. What now? She goes to daddy to beg for help, but since she stayed with her husband, he has washed his hands of her. Her father’s advice? Sell the house.

Meanwhile, Shige and the number of friends he has keeps growing. He’s finally starting to lead a normal and happy life at school at least. The problem comes with his friends (who were all part of the bully’s group) want to start bullying the bully. This makes Shige very uncomfortable. I hope that he can stand up to his friends and NOT turn around and do what was done to him. He was a victim and even if that other boy deserves a beating, let’s not lower ourselves to his level.

Asami and Shinichi grow closer and closer and are practically dating. Shinichi ditches his girlfriend constantly to be with Asami. And I have to say…WHY does that girl put up with his carp and keep clinging? Anywho, Koya delivers Kazu’s message about meeting with Asami. Shinichi is NOT happy. Asami wishes to meet with Kazu to come clean and does arrange a meeting which Shinichi crashes. He complains about how his father is acting. This is after he kept griping about how his father only wanted to use him as a bragging tool and never had a real conversation with him. Shinichi grabs Asami and pushes his father to the ground. He confesses to her that he can’t go back and he will quit school and get a job. Asami does not seem too thrilled about this.

Koya visits the hospital yet again to complain to the real Yoshimoto’s mother. She almost ruined everything for him. Mrs. Yoshimoto complains that he is not an educator but an epicurean who delights in harming others. Koya looks at her son and agrees that Yoshimoto Koya is such a person. We then flashback to Yudai confronting Koya about the bullying of the student who killed himself. It turns out it was not Yudai, but the real Koya who was instigating the beatings and bullying. Go figure. So why does everyone thing the vegetable was a saint?

Anywho, Koya comes home and sees the elaborate dinner that Kayoko prepared, but no Kayoko. Koya starts freaking out and completely ignores Kazu who wishes to talk about Asami and Shinichi. Koya frantically searches the house and finds Kayoko sitting in a bathtub about to slit her wrists. This way her insurance policy will cover the debt…but they don’t pay out for suicides normally… Koya then says he will kill himself first and pulls a knife. I think he is genuinely horrified by this. When he pulls the knife and holds it to his throat, he starts recalling the boy from the past lying there with a bloody knife. Kayoko throws herself at Koya and stops him. The two hug and Kazu comes in wondering what’s happening.

Koya explains everything, shocking Kayoko who had no idea that he knew so much about her personal situation with her family. Kazu doesn’t know what is going on—it’s all happening so fast. Enter the grandparents. Looks like daddy broke down and decided to help out his daughter in her time of need after all. He does insult Kazu for making his daughter’s life miserable. Kazu rejects the needed money and sends his wife’s parents packing. Koya then sends the kids out, but they pretend to leave and stay and eavesdrop.

Kayoko and Kazu argue over the situation, and Kazu is insistent that he can take care of things. Koya yells at them to stop playing at being a family and actually be a family. With the rate they are going at, all he’s done is for naught. Now there is no stopping the disintegration of the Numata family. Koya leaves and Shige says it is the first time he saw such an expression on their tutor’s face. Does Shinishi still thing he’s a bad guy? I wonder?

The next morning things are stilted in the Numata family while Koya is outside doing his morning radio exercises at first with a bright smile which quickly fades to a more serious face once Kazu leaves for work. At school, Shinichi breaks things off with his girlfriend who does not want to break up with him. Her revenge? She takes the picture of him shoplifting to a teacher. Shinichi then heads out to meet Asami and finds her happily chatting with Koya. What is up?