Yoo Na's Street - Episode 3 (A FunCap)

Imagine waking up to find yourself in the middle of a war between a mob boss who doesn't respect The Gangster Code, and a stubborn Grandpa who's a bit out of touch with the present reality. Will soft-hearted Chang Man survive? But hey, maybe he can derive comfort from that nice, pretty lady living in the room across his. Because she's, like, very normal and sweet and stuff... not at all like these crazy gangster people Chang Man has met lately. Oh no, not at all... *cackling*



EPISODE 3

Axe Grandpa and Chang Man walk into Seom Cafe to "talk" to Hammer. As agreed upon, Chang Man leads the lackey out, leaving Axe Grandpa alone with the gangster boss. Grandpa distracts him with a "hey, look, what's that thing?", stuns him with a punch, and pins him down on the coffee table. Coolly taking off his hat before head butting Hammer. (Go Axe Grandpa, go!!!)
kakashi: Oh boy. How awesome is this? I particularly liked how Chang-man "steered" the lackey out. Yeah, I'm fast developing a Chang-man bias, I admit it. My KDrama heart is getting a bit full these days!
becca: Too many good shows. No one is safe.
Outside the room, the lackey tries to get past Chang Man and help his hyungnim. But remember Chang Man's level 3 Taekwondo blackbelt? Yeaaah, that comes in handy today as he deftly avoids the lackey's punches. He takes down the lackey with a single punch, all the while saying "Sorry, sorry, I'm his neighbor" and looking at Yoo Na with an "Ohno ohno ohno, I punched him! What do I do?" expression.
kakashi: This is where I tweeted to mary that I was dying of laughing. There is nothing I didn't love about this scene. But I guess the thing I loved most was Chang-man ... and his darn politeness, which is SO out of place and yet, so right. 
becca: It's just so HIM. I can't even begin to describe how much I love this scene.
Grandpa strangles Hammer, warning him to stay away from his family. Yoo Na pleads with Hammer to just agree already to stop this madness. As a last warning, Grandpa bites down on Hammer's nose and only lets go when his dentures fall out.
kakashi: That was .... unexpected, buahahaaaaaa!
Chang Man escorts a limping Grandpa out of the cafe and they're picked up by Manbo. He's in a good mood and impressed with Chang Man's fighting skills. That lackey Chang Man knocked out was famous for being tough. Manbo offers to take Grandpa to the dentist tomorrow to get a new set of dentures. (They got misaligned after biting Hammer's nose.) (Hateful Manbo! Sucking up to Haraboji now, are we?!) (What did you expect?) Chang Man calls Yoo Na for updates and the result is not good: the lackey regained consciousness but Hammer had to be sent to the hospital in an ambulance. Oh, and they said "Manbo's colatec is done for" and that Grandpa and Manbo should watch out. Chang Man hilariously whispers "What about me? Did they mention me?" Hahaha. Poor guy. What has he gotten himself into?
kakashi: Hahahaaaaa, and no, they didn't say anything about him! That was the funniest part. He was so relieved ... and he repeated it back to Manbo, word to word, as if he needed to hear again that he wasn't mentioned.
becca: Adorable. 'Nuff said.

Manbo's mood turns around at that news. Now he's pissed that they didn't just settle with Hammer. (Back to his usual self....) Grandpa assures him that Hammer just needs another beating down, and I don't know whether to laugh or cry at his simplistic view of how gangster honor works nowadays.
kakashi: Ahhhh, but I wouldn't have wanted to pay the money either!!!
becca: It would be caving! Once you start paying, you have to keep paying! Fight fight fight! Bring on the gang war!

Mi Seon comes back to the cafe all tired. She claims to have come from "her mother's place" which seems to be their go-to excuse when she's out having fun. This time, "mother's place" = golf in Jeju and she won't say with whom. Yoo Na nags her to call back President Jeong, at least. He's been looking for unni since yesterday. President Jeong bursts into the cafe just then, catching Mi Seon in her "totally not taking care of a sick mom" outfit. He sputters angrily and drags Mi Seon outside to talk. Yoo Na watches them leave with worry. Then we hear Mi Seon in the background begging President Jeong to let go because he's hurting her.
kakashi: Oh fuck, is he violent?! All violent men must be punished! I'm coming over to teach him a lesson!
becca: He is. I'm going with you, Unni.
Chang Man is studying in his room when Byeon (Chil) hyung knocks and asks him to refurbish the moldy part of Grandpa's room tomorrow. That room has been moldy for more than a year but Manbo is only ordering it fixed now. Looks like Grandpa is in the landlord's good graces... By the way, I'm kinda worried for Chang Man. He's turning into this compound's errand boy and it's interfering with his goal to study for and pass the Civil Service Exam (and escape the kind of life that this people ended up in!)
kakashi: Awww, yes ... he didn't seem overly pleased with the task, but he also seems unable to say no to anything!!!
becca: He's a good guy. A bit too good for his own good. *hugs Ahjusshi and runs away*

Manbo and his wife are amazed at how someone like Hammer, a guy who got jailed for rape and robbery, can be hospitalized from a beating by a harabeoji. She wonders if it was a good idea to humiliate Hammer like that and start a war when they could've managed to pay his "protection fee". Manbo seems to be undecided himself if this is a good or bad thing when Gye Pal runs in and tells them to come quick! Big-eye Herring is here to salute Axe Grandpa!
kakashi: Another top scene in this episode. I just love gangster flics - especially when they have weird ethics and honor and all that crap. It reminds me of Age of Feeling - in a very good way.
becca: I first became acquainted with this kind of honor-based clan-mentality (or whatever you want to call it) through Klingons, so gangster associations are second after that. But either way, I love it. Hi, I'm becca, and I'm a nerd.
Big-eye stands in the yard with a group of his men. He scolds them to act respectfully. When Chang Man escorts Axe Grandpa out of the room, Big-eye and his men bow deeply in unison. They formally apologize for running away from the Hammer conflict and leaving an old hyungnim to deal with it alone. They also apologize for not treating Axe Grandpa with all the respect a great hyungnim deserves.
kakashi: All that hyungnimming is sooooooo funny.
becca: Such a great scene. Just the right amount of humor and emotion. It's so good to see Grandpa being recognized with respect.
Axe Grandpa quotes his now-deceased Hwa Ryeong hyungnim. If you're going to a fight, "You try like you'll die, you live. You do like you'll live, you die." Big-eye and his group take this words to heart while Manbo just looks on and smiles at the old man, probably used to Axe's old-fashioned gangster ways and tendency to lecture. (They're still playing the Godfather music everytime Axe is like this. Haha)
kakashi: Hm, I thought Manbo was a bit jealous of the whole thing!
becca: I thought so, too. Probably a little embarrassed as well because he let Grandpa take care of the problem instead of doing it himself.
Big-eye and his men kneel in front of Grandpa. Manbo notices Chang Man standing there out of place and orders him back to his room. But Grandpa tells him to stay. He announces that Chang Man was the one who went with him and knocked out the strong lackey with a single punch. Big-eye looks slightly accusingly at Manbo. They thought Manbo was the one who helped Axe hyungnim. Manbo ruefully admits that he stayed outside in the car... y'know, to watch out in case something else happened. But now it's Manbo being increasingly left out of the convo as Big-eye praises Chang Man, whom Grandpa introduces not as a gangster, but just someone who "feels thankful to me and is fixing my wallpaper tomorrow". I love how Big-eye and his men are in awe of Grandpa now.
kakashi: Chang-man needs a gangster name though.
becca: *thinks* I got nothin'. Jo could probably think of something awesome, but to me, he's just huggable Ahjusshi. That's the only name I need.
Mi Seon is in her office, cleaning a cut on her lip. Yoo Na tentatively comes in and asks if she's okay. Mi Seon dismisses her, not wanting anyone to see her in this state. When President Jeong calls Yoo Na out to ask about Mi Seon, she scolds him for raising a hand against her unni. He's contrite but also mad with worry that when he was searching the hospitals to help Mi Seon's mom, she was out having fun. He forces a couple of bills into Yoo Na's hand as "pocket money" and asks her to calm down her unni for him.
kakashi: I was glad he didn't come on to her this time. You give pocket money to a daughter. Oh wait ... any birth secrets in this?!
becca: Um... I highly doubt that that pocket money comes with any familial associations. Seriously, she's a grown woman. The only reason he'd give her pocket money is to try and get her on his side against Mi Seon or to get himself... somewhere else. Or both, since I suspect he wants it all.
See, I'm confused about Mi Seon and the President. I think they're both wrong. But I also think they're both pitiful. One has to depend on such a man for money, and the other one knows his woman is only after his money but voluntarily spends it all to keep her with him anyway.
kakashi: You've got a point there. But then, I always thought that in these relationships, everybody gets what they want, so it's a win-win kinda thing.
becca: Except they don't get what they need. I wouldn't want a relationship like that.

Now for some cute: one of Big-eye's men, the billiard ball gangster (I call him that. He's just so cute and round and earnest) drives Chang Man to the hardware to look at wallpapers. Chang Man tries to shoo him away but he keeps sticking to "hyungnim" because Big-eye ordered him to take care of Chang Man. Chang Man is frustrated and embarrassed when Billiard refuses to leave. But Billiard doesn't care. He even bows down in the sidewalk and shouts "I shall wait for you hyungnim!". Hehe.
kakashi: Chang-man was SO annoyed and embarrassed at the same time, it was SO CUTE. And he is too polite to really tell somebody off, so he just bears with it.
becca: HAHAHA!! I love this! More reluctant-hyungnim antics, please! I want to see Chang Man followed around by a bunch of adoring thugs, like a mother hen and his chicks.

Manbo's wife calls Chang Man to ask him to paper their daughter's (Da Yeong) room too. After Da Yeong borrows the phone to instruct Chang Man what design to choose, she gets intrigued about the ajusshi with a cool voice. "Is he a student?" she asks her mom. Mom tells her that "that ajusshi" is just a worker who rents the room upstairs. Meaning: he's not on your level, so leave it.
kakashi: Hm, I bet there's something more to Chang-man.
becca: I'm convinced of it. Also, a message for Da Yeong: NO. You are not allowed to touch the cute Ahjussi. Ever. Stop. Stop now.
Mom sees Manbo leaving for the colatec and begs him to lie low for now since the gang war is heating up. Manbo assures her that Big-eye's show of loyalty last night means he'll be safe. Da Yeong shrilly tells her dad to stop with the Hammer, Axe, Big-eye bullshit and call people with their proper names. She's fine with it, but worried that her little bro will grow up in such a crooked household.
kakashi: Hey, we also need names like this! I'm no longer happy with just kakashi.
becca: I've been calling you the Big Kahuna for ages. My gangster name is Tony, by the way.

Manbo takes Grandpa to the dentist while his wife goes to the colatec. Later, he gets a call (his ring tone! The way he looks at the two dentist assistants when the phone rings!) from her that Hammer's men are blocking the entrance to the colatec and turning away customers. She confronts Hammer's men and they demand to see Manbo. She holds her ground impressively until one of the men gets sick of talking and twists her arm. I think she's shocked and not used to this new breed of thugs with no honor code. (I loved her courage in this scene, btw.)
kakashi: Me too!!!!! I don't like her at all, but she was awesome in this. Very gutsy.
becca: Yes!! Even the hateful people in this drama have good/sympathetic qualities. It's very refreshing.
While waiting for the dentures to be finished, Manbo consults Grandpa about the Hammer situation. Big-eye promised to follow whatever The Axe plans to do. Grandpa tells them to lie low for now and let him deal with Hammer. It doesn't look impressive when he says it without dentures though...
kakashi: I think I want to HUG him.
becca: What's stopping you? Group hug!!

Chang Man lugs home the papering supplies and Gye Pal tells him to finish Da Yeong's room first. He eyes Chang Man, asking if he has "fighting experience". Hehe. Everyone has been asking him that ever since he beat Soy Lump, Hammer's second-in-command! And everytime, Chang Man insists he has never fought before and only knows a "bit" of taekwondo. He even says that he was just blocking the lackey and "accidentally" punched him. Sure, sure. You mean like how I end up late for work after accidentally clicking "next episode" on Yoo Na's Street at 5AM on a Monday?
kakashi: Ah, yes. Happens to me all the time.
becca: Argh, where is the backstory for this guy?? The suspense is killing me!
Da Yeong lets him inspect her room before wallpapering. Chang Man is just his usual, nice self but you can see Da Yeong being impressed with everything he says. (Down girl!!) When he compliments her major, "Theater and Film" she scoffs at the seemingly empty words, but then Chang Man backs it up with "Isn't this the media/video age? So your major is very useful right now." (Hmm... he's nice, smart, AND sincere. I think it's time for another hug. Becca?)
kakashi: *Pushing becca away*- I think I'm stronger than our maknae! Plus, she's too young. Leave the ahjussis to us ahjummas, yes?
becca: How many times do I have to say it? I don't want him THAT way! I just want to be able hug him whenever I want! Okay, occasionally I might have other thoughts, but 99% of the time, my intentions are pure!

Dong Min pesters his noona to fix his video game so Chang Man offers to help. He's very good with the kid too, tricking Dong Min to wet a cotton bud with his tongue so he can use it to clean the videogame's internals. Da Yeong seems most impressed by this and I can see someone is gonna fall. Hard. But not as hard as becca dear who tries to hug Chang Man everytime kakashi isn't looking.
*sneaks one in while she has the chance, shooting dirty looks at Da Yeong the whole time*
(Eh. All this Chang Man hugging is making me miss Nam Su... where are you, my lunkhead?)
kakashi: He really doesn't have a lot of screen time. Is this another Aka?

Mi Seon is playing computer games at home, refusing to go to work. She wants Yoo Na to tell President Jeong that she's sick. "Sick where?" "Sick in my heart." LOL She wants to guilt trip President Jeong by saying how his distrust has wounded her heart and he should stay away from her while it is healing. Yoo Na leaves her at home "to do something" and Mi Seon warns her to be careful because she had a bad dream. "It was your dream, YOU be careful" says Yoo Na. She sees Chang Man mixing the paste for the wallpaper outside. She worries for him after hearing that a gang war is brewing, and smiles at him to be careful. Chang Man, the dork, stares dreamily after her and accidentally puts paste on his chin. Hehe.
kakashi: Sweet man...
becca: *mad squeeing* Look at him look at him LOOK. AT. HIM. Okay, maybe my intentions aren't THAT pure....
Yoo Na goes to the bank to scope the joint. She spots a lady exiting with a thick envelope of cash and follows her to work. A commotion near the building's doors gives her the perfect cover to zip open the lady's bag and take out the envelope, letting the lady's natural movements close the bag for her.
kakashi: It makes me nervous when she is out stealing. I'm waiting for bad things to happen.
becca: Nervous? I'm not nervous. Nope. *hugs knees and rocks back and forth*

Maaaan the pickpocketing scenes amuse me more than you'd expect. See, I used to filch my classmates IDs back in high school. It's almost scientific, how you find spots to avoid and so the weight doesn't shift and the victim doesn't notice. Pockets are easy, but my favorite is when I walk up to my friends and make small talk, all while I'm stealing the thing hanging around their neck. Hekhekhekhek. Then I LOL when I pretend they dropped their ID and go, "hey, is this yours?" (OMG mary is a pickpocket! That's so awesome!!!) (As if she weren't cool enough.) And they wonder how in god's name that ID could've dropped out of its own accord when the school-regulated ID clip looks like this:
Huehuehahahahaha!
*cough* Anyway, yeah. Back to our Yoo Na who's happily strolling away with her loot. Two guys greet her on the street then chat loudly over her protests as they drag her to a deserted alley. Once alone, they start acting rough, cuffing her on the head and telling her that this is their turf. Yoo Na pretends not to know what they're talking about. The younger of the two swears he saw her stuffing the envelope in her bra so she opens her blouse and dares them to check.
kakashi: She is so cool. Wow. I was getting scared.

After inspecting her bag and patting her down, the younger one seems resigned but the other thug refuses to give up. He pulls out a knife and reiterates that this is THEIR turf, so she had better show them that money or she'll hate her scarred face for life. I'm not really scared for our badass heroine but I was still happy to see my giant lunkhead, Nam Su, pop up and ask what his boys are up to.
kakashi: Here he is. Thank GOD! Yoo Na, however ... didn't even blink when the knife came out.
becca: On the one hand, I find that really cool. On the other hand... it worries me. Is her poker face just that good, or does she really fear nothing? It's gonna break my heart when she gets emotional later in the drama, isn't it?
They're not exactly under him, more like a separate unit who still defer to Nam Su as their hyung. Yoo Na scolds him for raising such violent hoobaes and he apologizes for this group. The kids are just desperate. This particular gang lost 3 members to the slammer last month. Yoo Na asks how can just two kids manage to watch over a turf? Nam Su admits they can't. Same goes for Nam Su's actual group where one is in jail. (The other two we met in Episode 1.)
kakashi: Awww. Poor guys.
becca: And now I want to hug them, too. My poor Lost Boys. Be their Wendy, Yoo Na, pleeeeaaase? *bats eyelashes*
He says his team is in "recession". Not just because they lack men, but also because they lack skills. He reminds her about his request. Yoo Na repeats that she hates working with others. But she softens a bit and asks Nam Su to call back the kids. They shuffle over and take Yoo Na's lecture meekly. "In our line of work, crossing someone's turf can happen by accident. Have you never done it before? Must you resort to pulling knives?" They apologize. She then takes out the envelope she slid in her pants. One of the boys looks disbelievingly at Yoo Na and back to his hyung, all "WTF? It was there all along???" (See, boys? Our Yoo Na can outwit all of you. Huehuehahaha!)
kakashi: If I were a man, I'd be madly in love with her already.
becca: *nods* Major girl crush goin' on here.

Nam Su looks at her with increasing interest as she splits the loot (I think she halves it? I can't be sure) and gives part of it to the boys. "Just consider it as me watching over your turf for you." Nam Su smiles and tells the boys to take their noona's gift. They thank her and leave. Only then does Nam Su mention running across Yang Sun at a jimjilbang.
kakashi: He is noble, this Nam Su. I am looking forward to when he and Chang-man meet.
becca: I... am not prepared for such greatness. *tries to figure out how to hug both at once* I know! Sandwich hug! I'll be the honey in the middle. ^__^
Dirt-rag Bong and Yoo Na drive over to the sauna as she shares more news from Nam Su: a famous gang (led by Kkang Sun) has been recruiting Yang Sun but she always refused since she promised never to steal again. Bong is guilty but whines it's tough for him to believe pickpockets after 20 years of being in the force! Yoo Na shouts at him to stop grousing and just trust his wife from now on.
kakashi: True in real life ... there are people who have done things in their life and/or to you, and even though you want to trust them, you just can't.
becca: *sigh*

Yoo Na goes in alone and spots her unni eating ramen. She greets her with a "Sorry". Yang Sun tells her to go away. "Even if the whole world doubted me, I thought you at least would believe me. Even if I stole the wallet and hid it, when I say I didn't take it... can't you pretend to believe? For me?" She cries over her ramen, reflecting how hard it is to go straight when no one believes you anyway. Aww... I know that feeling. *hugs Yang Sun unni* She keeps calling Yoo Na a bad woman while she takes it like a champ, even repeating after her. "I'm a bad woman." "I know."
kakashi: That was touching. Everybody is so alone in this show ...
becca: Gah, I'm too tired for this. Just reading about it, I'm getting teary-eyed. *hugs Yoo Na and Yang Sun because the girls need some love, too*
Bong waits nervously outside. When Yang Sun leaves the sauna in a good mood with Yoo Na, he approaches them and keeps bowing and apologizing to his wife. (I love Yang Sun's shoes, btw) Bong offers to beg on his knees but Yang Sun tearily refuses to let this go with a simple "sorry" when he beat her up. "Then... hit me back!" says Bong as he offers his face to her. Yang Sun exhales. Then she takes off her bag and hands it to Yoo Na. Bong's face hilariously changes from "I'll do whatever you want" to "wait, you're not... really...?"
kakashi: Hahahaaaaaa. Serves him RIGHT.
She does. She hits him square in the jaw. Then kicks him in the family jewels for good measure. He even goes a bit cross-eyed from the pain! LOL I know domestic violence is domestic violence even if it's the guy getting it, but I can't help but cheer that Yang Sun didn't just take abuse from her husband. Maybe this is a case of a match made in heaven? Yang Sun leaves Bong squirming on the street. She promises to go home after grabbing a drink with her dongsaeng. Yoo Na avoids eye contact with Bong as she dumps Yang Sun's luggage beside him and runs after her unni.
kakashi: Don't beat people up, kids! But hey, I cheered as well. Also, because it came so unexpected.
becca: Yep, it was questionable but awesome. My favorite part, though, is how she dumped him to go hang with her dongsaeng before coming home.
Meanwhile, Da Yeong comes home from school to find Byeon ajusshi, Chang Man, and Dong Min moving her stuff back into her room. Dong Min proudly tells her how he helped and she musses his hair. (I just wanted to note that Da Yeong seems to genuinely dote on her little bro. Not spoil him per se, but just love him and be affectionate with him. And who wouldn't? I mean, look at that cute kid! He's LITTLE KEI! *sneaks in a pinch of Little Kei while JoAnne isn't looking*)
kakashi: I keep trying to remember the scene in which we saw Little Kei but fail miserably. And no, I'm not going to watch WTFParis again!
becca: I just keep thinking of all those "Little Kei" jokes and imagining something very different than what Mary means. And I don't remember seeing this kid in WTFParis, either. (He was the kid who grabbed Bunny's boobs. His mom poisoned Alex with glue. Aaah~ those were the good times.)
Da Yeong finds Chang Man fixing the wiring inside her room. They chat a bit and she discovers that Chang Man already served in the army (seems like this is a plus point for Korean men? Yes, it's a very big deal. Even if you had a valid reason, not serving seems to be frowned upon.) She looks for some picture which used to hang on her wall and Chang Man goes, "Aaah... the Stanislavski? It's beside the shoe stand." She's surprised that he knows about the famous actor. Chang Man says, "didn't he write the Actor's Handbook?" Da Yeong is impressed that Chang Man has read it, and not because he wanted to act or anything, but because he thought that it contained some important lessons about life. Chang Man's bankability just increased by 1000 points!
kakashi: He definitely spent his time well, this one!
becca: *pushes kakashi and Da Yeong aside and grabs Ahjussi in a bear hug*

Da Yeong approaches Byeon ajusshi outside to fish for more info about Chang Man (*hisses*). "What did that Chang Man ajusshi do in the past?" she asks. "Just a worker" says Byeon ajusshi. "Then... what does he do now?" "Still a worker!" shrugs Byeon Chil. HAHAHA It's funny how Da Yeong is all, "But that guy seems to know a lot, doesn't he?" while Byeon Chil is just, "What does that guy know? He doesn't know anything! He's clueless about life! He'll stay a worker forever. Do you think a young man who knows a lot will live like that, without a home or a car?"
kakashi: I bet he's wrong. 
becca: Or he knows something and he's playing along with Chang Man's act. (Yes, he's definitely hiding something. I know it. You can't convince me otherwise. I still adore him.)
Something also funny with Da Yeong: she does this cutesy, "tuck hair behind ears and purse her lips" thing when she's talking to or about Chang Man. It's subtle but hilarious once you notice that she's primping. It's not aegyo territory but she definitely doesn't do it with her classmates or parents. Hehe.
kakashi: It'll be a painful crush, I'm sure!
becca: I still don't care much for her. *starts sharpening claws, just in case*

Yoo Na and Yang Sun go to Seom Cafe for drinks. Yang Sun learns about the almost-knife fight and is glad that Nam Su was there to defuse the situation. She's proud for being Nam Su's songsaengnim because that kid has a "good foundation". Yoo Na thinks she means talent, but Yang Sun is referring to honesty and loyalty (awwww). He mails wallets back to their owner and only started stealing due to bad circumstances. Yoo Na isn't impressed. "I mail back wallets too!" and "Do you think I steal due to good circumstances?"
kakashi: So there's wallet-mailers and wallet-throwers. Tell me what you are and I'll tell you whether you're a good or a bad person.
Oh, but Nam Su is different, Yang Sun insists. His dad died from cancer while his mom has heart problems, so Nam Su started pickpocketing since high school and sent his younger brothers to college. Yang Sun recalls how the judge cried and pitied Nam Su so much, he reduced his sentence from three years to just one. Yoo Na laughs at the whole sob story, calling Nam Su a pro for managing to hoodwink judges too. Yang Sun swears that if Yoo Na gets to know him, she'll change her mind for sure. "But unni, why are you raving about Nam Su right now?" asks Yoo Na. Yang Sun answers, "You... try dating Nam Su once." HAHAHAHA. Also, KYAAAAAAAAA~ YES! YES, PLEASE??? I'm squealing like a Mary who saw Song Jae Rim's abs right now, but of course, our cool Yoo Na is immune to such things and goes "eeew" at Yang Sun's request.
kakashi: Yeah, it doesn't seem like Yoo Na is at all interested in men. Bad experience or just a lone wolf? But ... kyaaaaaa, yes! Date them! Both of them!
becca: Or just one! And we'll take care of the other and his broken heart! *exaggerated wink*

Manbo, Big-eye, and the Madame are arguing over what to do with Hammer. She wants to tell the police, but Manbo is set in the gangster code: no tattling. Big-eye proposes they attack Hammer's men while the boss is still in the hospital. It's a risky move, since you can't really open hostilities without suffering any casualties. Madame is pissed that Axe Grandpa exacerbated things so she tells the men to swallow their pride and let Grandpa deal with Hammer like what he wants to do. Manbo goes silent... then he recites "You try like you'll die, you live. You do like you'll live, you die." His final answer? "Let Axe hyungnim deal with it." LOL I thought he was the one going to fight this time.
kakashi: He is a coward, too? Awesome. He's really got all the character traits we usually like in a human being! 

Byeon Chil knocks on Chang Man's room and borrows $100 for a "funeral". Chang Man doesn't have money and besides, he knows that "funeral" = gambling with baduk. He seems familiar with his hyung's habits like cards and horse racing. Byeon Chil makes excuses for those when his wife barges in and tells him to go home now. He's not allowed to leave tonight for "funeral" or whatever. Chang Man stops his hyung for a bit and asks if "that girl in the other room", Yoo Na, is dating someone? (*squees*) Some rich old guy was looking for her the other day. Byeon Chil corrects him. That was Mi Seon's man, President Jeong. He marvels at how many men she has but Chang Man isn't listening anymore. He's grinning to himself at the news that Yoo Na is single. (*more squeeing*) "You! Do you like Yoo Na?" Byeon Chil asks. Chang Man denies it but the dork can't hide his smile. Byeon Chil warns him to stay away from the girls in that unit, they're not "good women". Chang Man asks "not good in what aspect?" "All. Everything." says Byeon Chil. HMPH. Judgey judgersons!!!
kakashi: Sweet. And so obvious, Chang-man.
becca: Aww, I didn't think Byeon Chil was judging (he's never been less than friendly to them that I've seen) so much as just looking out for Chang Man. I thought it was sweet.
Axe Grandpa is practicing his fight moves (the headbutt!!) when Chang Man comes down to buy ramen. The grandpa offers him kimchi and rice since he gets lots of it for free from social workers. Then he asks Chang Man to buy him a pair of scissors, which he promises to pay when he gets his welfare allowance. *giggling* As soon as Chang Man exits the gate, Billiard and Dog Bone (another lackey of Big-eye) get out of a car and warn him that it's dangerous to leave alone. Billiard orders Dog Bone to accompany "hyungnim" to buy ramen. Chang Man lets them tail him with reluctance. (Awww.. don't hate Billiard! He's so cute and he cares for you!)
kakashi: Hyungnim! Let me escort you to bed, hyungnim! It's dangerous in there!
becca: *giggles* This. More of this. So cute. I just can't.
Next morning, Yoo Na waits outside the jail for another visit. A man comes out and hugs his daughter and wife, sending us into a flashback of little Yoo Na in the carnival with her dad. They're watching a fireworks display when dad goes missing. Little Yoo Na runs around the place, calling for him. She spots him later, walking among the crowd and filching wallets here and there. Dad passes by a lady's bag and zips it open. Then he walks by again to fish out another wallet. Little Yoo Na watches it all with fascination.
kakashi: She was awesome as a kid, too.
becca: And smiley. I want to see that side of her again.

Dad is secretly taking out the money from all the wallets he stole when Little Yoo Na runs up to him. He hides what he's doing and smiles at his baby girl. That is, until she pulls out a wallet and proudly says, "Look! I pinched a wallet just like you, dad!" (LOL!) (Ooof. Can you imagine how much that must have hurt him? He's obviously been trying to hide this part of his life from her, but his baby girl is already following in his footsteps. As a parent, he must feel horrible. *heart breaks*) Dad gets mad and tells her to never do it again. Little Yoo Na cries and pinky-swears not to do it again, also to keep her dad's job a secret. Dad wipes her tears and snot away and promises to treat her to some deokbokki. (Does this explain her "I don't like rice cakes" comment to Chang Man's invitation last episode?)
kakashi: It doesn't. But I guess something else happened, that or another day. Or: she just doesn't like Deokbokki.  
In the present time, Dad is talking to Yoo Na in the visitor's room. He narrates that after that incident, the sound of fireworks makes him cringe and reminds him of things he shouldn't have done as a parent. If only Yoo Na met a different father, she wouldn't have turned out like she did. Yoo Na tells him to stop blaming himself. She might've hated him in the past, but she knows better now about how the world works and doesn't resent him anymore. Yoo Na wonders why her dad requested for a visit and we find out that his last check-up showed something in his liver. He tells her not to be alarmed and grumbles that it wasn't even bad enough to grant him an early pardon. Yoo Na reminds him that he has about 18 months left so he should take care of himself until then.
kakashi: He is clearly lying about his condition. He wouldn't have called her otherwise. Also, he is a bit old. The actor, I mean.
becca: Again, I'm way too tired for this. *blinks furiously*
Meanwhile, Chang Man and Grandpa go to the hospital bearing a flower arrangement for Hammer. Chang Man watches as the hospital staff give Hammer his food and the lackeys leave to get lunch for themselves. He signals to Grandpa that the coast is clear. Grandpa tells Chang Man to stay outside Hammer's room and warn him if the lackeys come back. He will talk to Hammer alone. Chang Man seems to think this is a baaaaad idea, but he follows Grandpa's wishes anyway.

When Hammer spots The Axe entering his room, he's too surprised, he can only point and say "Oh..." Axe Grandpa chastises him for not greeting a sunbae properly then knocks him out with a punch. (I think a tooth falls out or was that rice? Anyway, haha, nice touch!) We see Chang Man outside, trying to read a paper and cover Hammer's muffled cries by loudly coughing every time a person walks by.
kakashi: I seriously did not expect this!
becca: Oooh! Here it comes here it comes! It's you-know-who trying to you-know-what the other you-know-who's you-know-whats!!
Back inside the room, Grandpa manages to gag Hammer and secure him to the bed using cable ties. He says he just wanted to teach Hammer a lesson but realized that it's not enough for someone like him who even raped high school students, so he goes back to the flower basket and takes out something. Now the random request for scissors the other night is clear. Hahaha! I thought that was just to show his financial status and dynamic with Chang Man.
kakashi: How awesome is this old guy?!
becca: SO awesome.

Grandpa wields the scissors and announces that "I've volunteered for societal purification and have come to cut off something. I will let you live today, but these thingies have to be cut" gesturing to Hammer's Little Hammer. Grandpa slides off the mobster's pajamas and the camera pans down to a little cactus to hide his "thingies". LOL Grandpa says he'll cut off Hammer's today, and Hammer can visit him later and take his, since Grandpa has no use for his own "thingies" nowadays.
kakashi: I vote this the most awesome line EVER in a KDrama.
becca: And he's TOTALLY SERIOUS.
Chang Man is still outside covering for Grandpa when he spots the two lackeys at the end of the corridor returning from lunch. He opens the door in a panic to call Grandpa away and gasps when he's greeted by the scene of Grandpa bending over Hammer and Hammer screaming desperately behind his gag.
becca: *dies laughing*

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

COMMENTS

So... did he cut it or not?!
kakashi: I don't want to see this!!!!

How much do we love Lee Hee Joon? I feel like half of the fun of YNS is from this guy alone and his reaction to all the WTFery happening around him.
kakashi: I just LOVE that he gets an opportunity to shine in this. Everybody is so good.
becca: But he's especially good. And I love that Chang Man is only character who seems to get how weird these people are, but he still just goes along with them.

It was nice seeing Yoo Na's back story and interaction with her dad. When she claimed not to care about him back in Episode 2, I thought it would be another painful secret or something. Turns out she's just being her cool, detached self. It's consistent with her character since we can't have a "badass" pickpocket legend who runs around in high-heels and going all Candy on everyone. In fact, I think she's the secretly kind-hearted lead with a tough exterior, and Chang Man is the hardworking-Candy who will break through her defenses and help her enjoy life. But only after 50 episodes.
kakashi: That's if there's no extension.
becca: Oh please, no. Don't even joke about that.