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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

“Shane Morgan?” asks Owen, and I think I might die of embarrassment from the look of incredulity on his face. Like he’s thinking, CJ? With Shane? What reality does she live in that makes her think that’s even possible?

“They’ve been texting like crazy,” says Emily. “With the occasional Snapchat and Instagram. They have a seven-day streak going.” I kick her under the table and she kicks me right back.

“Seven days,” says Owen with a grin. “Impressive.”

“Shut up. We only just started texting, anyway. You don’t have to be a jerk about it,” I say, annoyed at . . . Owen? Emily? Myself? Because I’m . . . embarrassed? I realize that I kind of didn’t want Owen to know about Shane; except why, why, why do I even care what he thinks?

“I’m not being a jerk,” he protests.

“You are.”

I turn to Em to back me up, but she excuses herself to go to the bathroom, saying, “I’ll let you two work things out.” It’s becoming clear to me why she brought up Shane. Some friend.

“I’m just surprised that you’d be into him, that’s all,” Owen says. “He doesn’t seem like your type.”

“And what do you know about my type?”

Owen shrugs. “Not much, apparently.”

“Anyway, there’s nothing wrong with Shane.”

“No, I know. He’s cool, I guess.”

“You think I could never get a guy like that.”

Owen looks offended. “I totally think you could ‘get a guy like that.’” There’s a sarcastic undertone to his voice to go with the air quotes, and I’m even more annoyed. “You’re smart; you’re talented; you’re interesting . . .” He trails off. “So, yeah. You’re a catch.”

“I notice you didn’t say ‘pretty.’”

What. Even. What the hell is wrong with me? I’m about to tell Owen that I’m kidding, I don’t care if anyone thinks I’m pretty, I’m not that shallow, but before I can, he says, “Seriously? Okay, you’re pretty.”

“I was just kidding.”

“No, you weren’t.”

“Yes, I was.”

Owen taps a piece of crust on his plate and says, “Look. Shane Morgan’s a nice guy, but he’s . . . Well, let’s just say that if he’s interested in you, it’s because he thinks you’re pretty. So now you know.”