Kouki & Atsumu: How the Dragon Met the Wolf: The Model

A new semester begins, and with it comes a transfer student: Ami Kawashima, a gorgeous fashion model who appears in magazines and has a perfect, sweet smile that charms everyone instantly. She's also Haruki's childhood friend, which immediately puts her in Atsumu's crosshairs. Ami is publicly sweet and innocent, but privately she's sharp, cynical, and sees through everyone's masks. She immediately clocks the dynamic between Kouki and Atsumu—and she finds it hilarious. The first time she meets Atsumu, she mocks his height and his "Lone Wolf" reputation to his face. Atsumu slaps her (claiming he was swatting a mosquito) and declares he hates her. But Ami has a secret: she's being stalked by a crazed fan, which is why she transferred schools. When the stalker corners her one night, Atsumu—despite hating her—throws a trash can at the man and scares him off. Ami is stunned. She didn't expect the "wolf" to defend her. That night, Ami stays at Atsumu's apartment, and he keeps her up all night making her do embarrassing impressions—payback for mocking him. They become the strangest of allies: two people who see through each other's masks and refuse to let the other hide. Meanwhile, Minako has been pulling away from Kouki. She's working multiple jobs, busy with softball, and always seems to be smiling too hard. Kouki can't figure out if she's avoiding him or just genuinely busy. He tries to ask her about it, but she deflects with jokes and ghost stories. Ami, noticing Kouki's confusion, corners him privately: "You don't actually love her, you know. You love the idea of needing someone. But the person you actually need is already in your kitchen every morning." Kouki denies it, but the words dig under his skin. At school, the pool day arrives—and Atsumu panics. He can't swim and is self-conscious about his slender frame. Kouki stays up all night sewing pads into his swimsuit to help him feel less exposed. At the pool, when a pad slips out underwater, Atsumu nearly drowns in embarrassment—but Kouki dives in, fixes it, and pulls him up. No one notices. They don't say a word. But that night, Atsumu is quieter than usual, and Kouki feels something shift between them that he doesn't have words for. To make matters more complicated, Haruki reveals to Kouki that he once confessed to Atsumu in their first year—and was rejected. Atsumu admits, in confidence, that he rejected Haruki because he was too shocked to answer properly, and he's been in love with him ever since. Kouki listens, nodding, offering advice—while something twists in his chest. He's supposed to be helping Atsumu win Haruki. He just doesn't know why that thought hurts. Atsumu challenges Ami to a swimming race to settle their rivalry. He loses—but he earns everyone's respect by refusing to give up. As he climbs out of the pool, exhausted and defeated, Kouki is the one who hands him a towel. Atsumu doesn't say thank you. He just takes it. They don't look at each other. But Ami watches them both from the bleachers—and she smiles.

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