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Back This Time Will Be Different Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. A Series of Screw-ups: The Chisaki Joan Katsuyama Story, Part I
  6. 3
  7. The History of My Beef with Brynn Foer-Preston
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. The History of the Katsuyama Family, Part I
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part I
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part II
  20. 13
  21. The History of the Katsuyama Family, Part II
  22. 14
  23. 15
  24. 16
  25. 17
  26. 18
  27. 19
  28. The Complicated History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Imaginary Relationship with Her Nonexistent Dad
  29. 20
  30. 21
  31. 22
  32. A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part III
  33. 23
  34. 24
  35. 25
  36. A Brief, Backward History of the McAllister Family, as Paraphrased from the San Jose Mercury News
  37. 26
  38. 27
  39. 28
  40. A Quick and Eerily Relevant History of Asians in America
  41. 29
  42. 30
  43. 31
  44. 32
  45. 33
  46. 34
  47. 35
  48. 36
  49. A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part IV
  50. 37
  51. 38
  52. 39
  53. 40
  54. 41
  55. 42
  56. 43
  57. 44
  58. A Series of Screw-ups: The Chisaki Joan Katsuyama Story, Part II (Or Maybe It’s a Prequel)
  59. 45
  60. 46
  61. 47
  62. 48
  63. 49
  64. 50
  65. 51
  66. 52
  67. 53
  68. The History of the Katsuyama Family, Part III
  69. 54
  70. A Note from the Author
  71. Index of Flowers and their Meanings
  72. Acknowledgments
  73. About the Author
  74. Praise for This Time Will Be Different
  75. Books by Misa Sugiura
  76. Back Ad
  77. About the Publisher

“Okay, you know what? I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it all. In fact, I had to have my contact info taken off the MVC website because of abusive emails from people screaming at me for being a traitor and a racist bootlicker. I don’t have the time or the emotional bandwidth to continue this argument with my own family.”

“Yeah, well I’ve had abusive emails from actual racists screaming at me to stop being a whiny bitch and to go back home to Asia, so I think I have you beat in the ‘I’m tired of this shit’ department,” says Hannah.

Damn. I’ve heard of that happening to people. But it’s never happened to anyone I know. I feel an adrenaline spike, as if someone has actually, physically attacked me.

Mom looks stricken. Then she lets out a heavy sigh and says, “Fuck. I’m sorry you’re dealing with that. People are assholes.”

“Thank you,” says Hannah. On TV, the James Bond guy drives a Range Rover across a creek and over a bunch of boulders on his way to some fancy gala in the city. “Oh, Daniel,” says Hannah dreamily, and I think maybe we’re on our way to some kind of truce.

But then Mom says, “You shouldn’t have started this, Hannah. I don’t want you or the shop getting attacked by a bunch of white supremacists.”

“I didn’t start it, Mimi. You did. You and the McAllisters.”

“Okay, fine. You know what? Say whatever you want. I’m worried about you, Hannah. Can’t you see that? You’re the one who went public and brought them all out from under their rocks. Can’t you just tone it down until they—”

I can’t take it anymore. If anyone is responsible, it’s the racists. Or me. It was my idea to go to the Merc, after all. “Mom, I don’t think the racists are Hannah’s fault.”

Mom looks surprised that I’ve spoken up, and then irritated. “CJ, you stay out of this.”

“No.”

Mom stares me down and says, “I’m sorry, CJ, did you just flat-out defy me?”

I stare back at her. Defiantly. I can’t let her blame Hannah for being attacked by racist trolls. “It was my idea to contact the Merc. If you want to blame someone besides the actual racists, blame me.”

Mom’s eyes widen in shock. “You?”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I mutter.

“CJ. I mean it.” Mom’s voice is cold and level. “Good for you for taking some initiative, okay? But this is none of your business, and I want you to stay out of it.”