Asian Addicts Anonymous

A bit of a rough patch for our main couple. You can totally understand why uri Jin Woo-ssi would be a little ticked off. Of course, he is also wrong in not considering just why Kyung Hee made that decision, you know? But she also didn’t understand his torture and torment of two years ago and what he went through with the fake Dr. Phantom and the real Dr. Phantom. I am liking this season a bit more than last season. Oh, don’t get me wrong, Bae and Jin Woo’s chemistry in season 3 was good. Ahn Nae Sang and Ryu Duk Hwan were good counterparts, but I just didn’t like the split personality and there was also less of a focus on the diseases then there had been in the previous two seasons. This one brings more of the focus back. Plus, we get our end of episodes discussions about man, God, etc. It doesn’t feel to heavy and too preachy, so it’s good to be going back to more of the original format, although I miss Dr. Jang’s father figure for Jin Woo, but Chief Jo is stepping it up as the mommy figure kind of.

Episode 2: Angel’s Fingernail

A young woman stares sorrowfully into a nail art shop and wipes away tears with bandaged hands. We then cut to a scene at a junkyard at night where someone lies bloodied before cutting to the opening sequence which explains how Hanguk University specializes in cases dealing with rare diseases.

So we don’t come right out and hear just who operated on Jin Woo, just that he’s mad as hell at Kyung Hee enough to demand how she had the right to make such a decision. Gauging that reaction, I was dead on, plus Jin Woo has some flashbacks of the surgery and once it’s all done and over, the doctor removes the mask and it’s In Gak. Meh. Expected. The miraculous thing is that In Gak didn’t play around in Jin Woo’s brain while he had him all vulnerable on the operating table.

Ah, we do learn that detective Fart Face’s real name is Nam Doo Mong. I think I like Fart Face better. Anywho, since no one else wants to work with Jin Woo’s team on these crazy cases, Doo Mong has volunteered his services. This obviously does not make Kyung Hee happy given their past together which we still need to learn, but it does have something to do with one of the cases they worked together.

The two meet with the ME team to talk about the murdered police woman. She was viciously stabbed 17 times. Another female’s blood, as well as some pus and lotion were found on the cop as well. Enter Jin Woo saying that the disease is obviously “epidermolysis bullosa simplex” in which blisters and scarring can easily occur. Chief Jo yells at him for coming in to work instead of going home and resting. Jin Woo insists that he is fine and his gaze hit’s Kyung Hee’s and awkwardness skyrockets between the two.

The autopsy is performed and as expected, the vicious stabbing in the lightning shaped pattern is what caused the woman’s death. Could a person with the aforementioned disease have been able to viciously stab the policewoman? Our normally bubbly Jin Woo is completely subdued, but does answer that it is not impossible depending on how advanced the disease currently is. One thing is certain, it was a surprise and sudden attack that the woman, Kang Soo Ah, didn’t have time to fend off.

After the team breaks, Jin Woo asks to see Dr. Jo. She has noticed the tension and is completely upset when she learns that Jin Woo is upset over Seo In Gak saving his life. She tells him that was the only way to save him and he should really put himself into Kyung Hee’s shoes. She even had to beg to get In Gak to help, not to mention she put her career on the line by getting him out of prison to do the surgery. Yeah. I can definitely understand Jin Woo’s anger, but like I said earlier, he also needs to look at Kyung Hee’s side of things as well.

Doo Mong and crew go investigate the attack site while the news about Detective Kang’s murder breaks and we cut to see a young man working on a car. It looks like he is smirking when the news breaks, but then again, you can’t really tell because his arm is in the way of his mouth. It’s curious is all. But I think they threw that ambiguous scene in as a red herring.

Jin Woo is officially discharged and is leaving the hospital when the adorable little girl shows up. She presents him with a release present of twine or something like it tied into a bow so he never loses his mind again. LOL. Different. Jin Woo asks what her name is as she turns to leave. She turns back and introduces herself as Seo Da Mi. He’s Han Jin Woo, right? He then asks why she was crying the other day. The little girl says that she had learned her mother had died and that is why she cried. She then bounces away. Seems almost a bit too nonchalant for the little girl to do after she was crying so sadly in the previous episode.

Doo Mong’s team are investigating Kang’s previous cases and one of the detectives does so with a mouth full of burger. We then get this cute scene where the other detective perfectly translates what the big guy is saying for Doo Mong, shocking both of them. This earns him a slap upside the head, but they did find a connection. A woman with that disease was raped two years ago and Kang was the detective in charge of the case. The two lackeys rush to Ha Young’s apartment while Doo Mong and Kyung Hee go over the rape case from two years ago. When the lackeys get to the victim’s apartment, they here someone yelling her name before the door burst open and the young mechanic we saw earlier rushes out with the unconscious Ha Young in his arms. The detectives follow hot on his heels.

While that is going on, Jin Woo goes to visit In Gak in prison. In Gak is happy to have Jin Woo visit. The main question that Jin Woo wants answered is just what In Gak did to him during the operation and just why did he save his life? In Gak replies that Kyung Hee’s begging was like something out of a drama, but that did not move him one bit. No, the only reason he took it on was because it sounded like fun. He then explains that the only thing he did was to put Jin Woo in a coma so his two personalities could duke it out. The strongest one would survive. In this case, the original Jin Woo and not the dark Jin Woo. When our genius doctor asks once more why In Gak saved his life, In Gak replies that he could not let the man who gave him hope die. Someone…you get the feeling it’s not a good thing. The evil music in the background doesn’t help.

Meanwhile, Kyung Hee and Doo Mong are shocked to learn that the young man who rushed Park Ha Young to the hospital is the son of the man who raped her two years ago, Ko Kyung Hwan. How is it possible these two people would be together? When Doo Mong and Kyung Hee go into talk to Kyung Han immediately asks if Ha Young is okay. Kyung Hee says Ha Young collapsed because of her disease and is receiving treatment. This visibly relieves the young man. Why was he at Ha Young’s place to begin with? Ha Young hadn’t been answering her phone and he was worried, so he rushed over. Doo Mong immediately accuses the young man of killing detective Kang Soo Ha and then rushing to finish off Ha Young as revenge for Kyung Hwan’s parent’s suicide after his father was arrested for rape.

Kyung Hwan says this is not the case. Sure, he had resentment towards Kang, but not Ha Young. He is then told that Ha Young is the prime suspect in Kang’s case since her bodily fluids and ointment were found on the corpse. Kyung Hwan gets indignant and says that can’t be true, but hearing the evidence makes him waver a bit. He then talks about how his father’s case didn’t make any sense at all. The jacket covered in the girl’s blood wasn’t there when he left for work that day and it mysteriously showed up hanging up in the front hall when the police were there. How was that possible? Kyung Hwan is asked for his whereabouts the day of Kang’s murder and he has none. He went straight home and slept. Suspicious, no?

Kyung Hee and Doo Mong then go to the funeral where Kang’s son is wailing and bawling. They sit him down and starts asking questions. He demands to know if Kyung Han and Ha Young were the ones will killed his mother. If they were, then he is going to go out and kill him. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, so we’ll all be blind and toothless soon. It’s very obvious this guy is highly strung out and it’s not just soju and grief talking. Kyung Hee notes his odd appearance and strong cologne smell. Young Kang says that he saw Ha Young and Kyung Han come to his house and insist his mother reinvestigate the rape case. Kyung Hwan even threatened Kang that if he found out his father was indeed innocent like he believed, he won’t let her go.

We finally get back to Jin Woo. He goes home where he finds Kyung Hee’s presence everywhere. He sees her moving in his things, arranging his books and toys (collectibles is the correct term, but toys nonetheless), making his bad, and cleaning the house. It’s not that he hates her and he knows being out of commission for a year with no idea if he’ll ever recover was hard on her as well. So…can he stop being mad that she was desperate to save him at all costs? However…he still isn’t ready to talk to her as he needs some time. So when she calls him, he ignores her. Great.

Kyung Hee apprises the ME team about everything they have found so far, which is a whole lot of nothing in terms of evidence and all of that stuff. Kyung Hee is certain, though, that the rape two years ago and this murder case are connected in some way. Thus she wants to go to the hospital and talk to Ha Young. After the briefing, Kyung Hee approaches Jin Woo and asks if he’s still angry at her. He replies that he isn’t angry…it’s just…he trails off and says they will talk about it later. Right now they need to focus on this case.

The two go to the hospital and ask Ha Young about her whereabouts at the murder and explain evidence was found she came into contact with the victim. Ha Young says that she had no reason to kill Kang, especially since two days ago Kang came and apologized for the way the case was handled and said she would reinvestigate. At that time, Kang had grabbed Ha Young’s bandaged and sore hands. Did Kang say anything else? No. Ha Young immediately asks after Kyung Hwan and is adamant that he should not be held as a suspect since he would never murder Detective Kang. Never. Kyung Hee then asks what the two’s relationship is. Ha Young then says they are in a dating relationship. This surprises Kyung Hee. How can she be in a relationship with the son of the man who raped her? Ha Young immediately says that there is now way that Mr. Ko raped her as she remembers. Kyung Hee goes to interject, but Jin Woo steps in and asks to see Ha Young’s hands. Ha Young jerks them away, ashamed, but Jin Woo assures her it’s okay as he is a doctor. Ha Young holds out her hand and Jin Woo gives it a thorough look.

As the two leave the room, Jin Woo says that since Ha Young palms are clean with no open sores or new blisters, there is no way she killed Detective Kang. No, her bodily fluids and lotion was just a transfer from when Kang grabbed the young girl’s hands. Kyung Hee believes that Ha Young’s and Kyung Hwan’s relationship is really suspicious. Jin Woo counters with Kang’s words of apology and saying she wishes to right things by reopening the case is more suspicious. It sounds like the woman had a guilty conscience before she died. Kyung Hee wishes to go immediately back to talk about the rape again, but Jin Woo tells her to leave the young girl alone to get treatment first before questioning her even more.

Kyung Hee and Jin Woo go back to question Kyung Hwan some more. What is the evidence they have that Mr. Ko wasn’t the rapist. Kyung Hwan explains Ha Young remembers the feel and the voice of her rapist and it most definitely isn’t his father’s body or voice. Plus, Ha Young remembers a strong cologne scent and Mr. Ko never wore cologne. Did they tell the police this? Yes, and they were ignored. They then ask after the man’s relationship with Ha Young and he says they are merely two people who know each other. Jin Woo then tells Kyung Hwan that Ha Young said they are dating. This takes him aback (I think it secretly makes him happy) and he asks if that is true. Yes. However, he still insists they mean nothing to one another. Like that’s believable.

So how did our tragic couple meet? An angry Ha Young showed up to his father’s funeral and threw empty soju bottles. Kyung Hwan went to stop her saying he understands her feelings, but she shouldn’t do that to the dead. She ends up breaking a bottle over the young man’s head and while he’s bleeding profusely, he tells her to go ahead and hit him. She screams and cries and hits him and he grabs her wrists and finally notices her bloodstained and bandaged hands. Ha Young pulled away and rushed off. The two then met again and Kyung Hwan apologized as he did not know she was hurt. He then asks her to watch a video and listen to his father’s voice and look at his picture. Hearing this and seeing this makes Ha Young suddenly realize that the man arrested as her rapist really doesn’t seem to be the one she recalls.

After this, Ha Young stormed to the Kang apartment where she demands Kang look into the case again. She holds up a baggy containing hairs she found in her home from the attack. Why were these not taken as evidence? She then also says she remembers who the rapist was, not his face, but his body and voice and knows for a fact that it most likely is not Mr. Ko. Kyung Hwan is at the apartment complex, too and is happy that Ha Young is taking his father’s side. He does rush up to the door and tells Kang that if it turns out his father is innocent, he won’t let her go. After that, the two begin meeting and investigating themselves. They do become very friendly and both are pretty certain that Mr. Ko really is not the rapist.

Jin Woo visits Ha Young for more of her side of the story. She talks about Kyung Hwan’s positive attitude and how he found a lawyer to help his father’s case. When that fell through due to a lack of physical evidence, Kyung Hwan never got discouraged or gave up. He is a positive person. This is why Ha Young really believes he cannot possibly be Kang’s killer. Jin Woo does see the two’s feelings for each other and does caution that Mr. Ko could possibly be the rapist after all. Ha Young gently and persistently insists that she knows for a fact that isn’t so.

Doo Mong feels that Kyung Hwan is the killer and that will make Ha Young his accomplice. Jin Woo asks if there is any evidence to back this up. Of course not. Kyung Hee then replies that Kyung Hwan is keeping silent and refusing to provide an alibi. To Doo Mong this silence is tantamount to his guilt. To Jin Woo, it’s tantamount to something else entirely. What do you thing that is? Meanwhile, at the hospital, Ha Young is staring at her hands and recalling being depressed out side of the nail salon when Kyung Hwan comes up. She tells him how envious she is of people who can do such a normal thing as get nail art done. Kyung Hwan then replies that he loves her fingernails. Angel’s fingernails is what they are called. Angel’s don’t want to hurt humans with long, sharp nails so their nails are like Ha Young’s. She doesn’t believe him, but his story cheers her.

Jin Woo was back in the hospital watching over the young woman. He turns to walk away and notices he seems to be moving normally again. No more cane for him! He then notices our adorable little patient Da Mi. He comes and sits beside her and she asks if he is there because she was sad. He says he just happened by and she calls him a liar. She tells him that her mother who died is not a person she knows as she has never once met the woman. Jin Woo asks why that is, but the little girl won’t tell him why. She then asks after the tall and pretty eonni. Is she doing well? Jin Woo smiles and says that Kyung Hee is fine. Da Mi says that is a relief because Kyung Hee spent a lot of time in that room crying because of him. This really hits Jin Woo.

Kyung Hee is heading home and sees Jin Woo outside waiting. She smiles brightly before stifling it. Is he waiting for her? Why else would he be there? Does she think he’d be waiting for an ahjussi (middle-aged male)? These two playing all nonchalant and hard to get. They are soooo cute with their naïve and child-like relationship. As soon as Kyung Hee sees him without his cane she tells him that he must be tired and she will see him home. He then scolds her for walking away and she says that it seems he has nothing to say. Jin Woo then says he hates the color she painted the walls of his house. The two bicker a bit before Jin Woo apologizes. He only thought of his wounded pride and himself and not Kyung Hee’s feelings. he apologies once more for being sick and for hurting her. While Jin Woo has Kyung Hee distracted and laughing by saying she can him hard in the stomach as punishment, he pulls her into a kiss. Yay! Our couple is all happily in love once more.

After making up, Jin Woo and Kyung Hee go to a convenience store and munch on sausages while re-examining what they know. They then have a light bulb moment. Kyung Hee’s description of Kang’s son smacks of an addict, plus he wears strong cologne. The young man is arrested and it turns out he’s a heroine addict. They say that he must have killed his mother because she planned on reinvestigating Ha Young’s rape case which means he’ll get in big trouble. Young Kang tries to deny everything. Ha Young is brought in to view the young man behind the two-way window. Jin Woo has the young man repeat what Ha Young remembered the rapist saying and Ha Young shrinks back. It was the detective’s son after all! They again blame him for murdering Kang and the young man freaks out and is adamant that he would never hurt his mother even if she was going to turn him in. He is then asked about an accomplice.

It turns out that his bestie who is a rich druggie helped rape Ha Young and is the one who killed her mother. When Young Kang told him that his mom was reopening the case and going to make them both pay for their crimes, his friend got a little riled and lured Kang to the junkyard and viciously stabbed her. The lawyer says it is all speculation with no evidence to back it up. They show pictures of an a gang killing in which the victim, a traitor, was stabbed in a similar lightening pattern—the calling sign of this gang which this young man was also a part of. Just coincidence. The team then brings out the hard evidence. They found traces of the lotion Ha Young uses in the man’s car. Some of it was really old and some was really new. He can’t keep denying it. Case closed.

If only she didn’t have that son, Kang would have been a perfectly good woman and cop. Why would she cover up for her son and his friend to that extent? What good would it do her? In the end it only enabled her son’s addiction and bad behavior more and more. At least she finally was going to do the right thing I guess, but isn’t that a little too little too late?

Since our culprits have been caught and there is hard evidence against them, the innocent Kyung Hwan is set free and Ha Young awaits him outside of the police station. It’s a relief isn’t it? The two smile. Yes. it’s a relief for them. They do both have feelings for one another. Kyung Hwan lied about their relationship to try to protect Ha Young in case she really did have something to do with Kang’s death. He was even ready to lie about his own alibi and make himself the criminal for her (he had a solid alibi for the murder by the way). So, not only are they not murderers, it turns out Kyung Hwan isn’t the son of her rapist after all which will make their relationship definitely more acceptable to the public eye. I also think it was the one thing from keeping the both of them going completely forward in their love. Yay for this couple getting their happy ending! Jin Woo explains to Kyung Hee that young couple had the most important part of love and trust – the “and” which means they love each other and trust each other and that’s how they can move forward.

Angel’s nails, what Kyung Hwan called  Ha Young’s nails. I thought that if only people treated people, who were different from them, like that, then, how good would it be. An angel’s face. An angel’s legs. An angel’s laugh.

God sometimes gives pain to humans, but he doesn’t directly heal them. In the end, people heal other people. I think that, that quality in people is  an angel’s fingernail.

Ha Young is blister and scar free and decides to get her nails done. It’s her official first date with her oppa. Cute.

Ah, and for those curious, Lee Donghae of SuJu will be making his appearance starting with episode 3. He will be joining the ME team. You would think with one idol on the ME team already, they’d put the other in the police team, but nope. Interesting to note is that Donghae’s name will be Han Shi Woo. I just say interesting because in Korea you do have family names and siblings generally have names that are similar, like with Tae Kyeong and Tae Mi in Angel’s Revenge. You also have Seon Yu and Jin Yu (both ending in Yu) and Bong Hwang and Bong Chang (both starting with Bong). So isn’t it a little weird to have Han Shi Woo with Han Jin Woo? Maybe it is just a coincidence and I’m reading way too much into a name, lol.