Oh my goodness, it's actually been 4 years and 200 chapters already! I love how the author really tried to make the atmosphere and tone of the 200th chapter special. Love it!
You remembered wrong. She was a young girl who'd already been living in Japan and attending school. She was lonely and insecure, due to Japanese xenophobia, so she practised martial arts to help with that. That was when she met Hanako's dad.
Peak of this manga was first modeling with hanako and Irina trainig camp. Very good character developments and story.
Now it just keeps adding irrelevant girls and is dragging it's feet.
I'm so glad this arc is coming to an end... At this point I'm just pausing to check out spicy panels.
If Saotome joins the council and brings a bunch of girls in the next arc that would be interesting - but prob not happening, because it takes away time from making clothes.