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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

“Sure.”

“Okay. But don’t be mad at me. Promise?”

It’s never a good sign when people begin a confession with “Don’t be mad.” But I need us to keep being okay, so I say, “Promise.”

She takes a deep breath. “I think I’m in love.”

“Ha ha.”

“No, really. I mean. Not really. But yeah . . . seriously in like, anyway.”

Oh no. My heart contracts.

Keep it together, CJ. Emily was here for you. Be here for Emily.

Emily looks down at her index finger, which is now wound tightly in a hair bandage, and lets the coil of hair go before starting on a new lock. “Look. I know you don’t trust her. I know you hate her for hurting me and screwing up with the whole Mercury News interview and all that. But can you please give her a chance? For me? I’ve never been this happy in my whole life.”

Emily’s eyes are sparkling and her cheeks are flushed. She really does look happy. I can’t not be happy for her. I give her another hug—it’s a big night for hugs, I guess—and say, “If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

“Really?”

“Really.” I will put aside my feelings about Brynn. I’m not the boss of Emily. She can see whoever she wants.

Em smiles again. She’s so happy to have me back on her side. I can totally do this. I can be the supportive friend she needs right now. To prove it, I say, “So. You and Brynn. When . . . I mean, how long . . . ?”

“Um,” says Emily, playing with the edge of her shirt, “Since Valentine’s Day.” She smiles shyly. “That’s a pretty high-stakes first date, huh?”

I smile and nod. “For sure.” But—wait. Hang on a sec. Valentine’s Day? “You told me you went home and crashed early on Valentine’s Day.”

“Yeah . . . I’m sorry. I should have told you. I wanted to, but I was afraid you’d be upset.”

“So . . .” I don’t want to ask, because the answer is going to make me sad. “You lied to me about Valentine’s Day?”

Em drops her shirt and goes back to her hair. “Yes. But—”

I knew that was a bad question. I shouldn’t have asked it. I should be asking questions like What did you talk about? Did you do anything besides talk? Did you kiss good-night? What was it like? I try hard to reset.

“Hang on.” I’ve just remembered something else. “Brynn sent a text that night that said she was with Nikki and Lilianna. Was that a lie, too? Was she with you?”

“Oh. We were all out together—just as friends—when she sent that text. Brynn and I . . . we kind of hooked up after Nik and Lili went home.” Em blushes.