Set in Korean cafe, YA debut novel explores identity, coming-of-age moments
Korean American author Sujin Witherspoon has made a delightful debut with her young adult novel, "Bingsu for Two," released last month.
The enemies-to-lovers rom-com follows two teens who reluctantly fake a relationship online to save a struggling Korean cafe.
River Langston-Lee, a half-Korean high school senior, experiences a dramatic life change in a single day: He walks out of the SATs, breaks up with his girlfriend out of the blue and quits his job at his parents’ cafe.
Desperate for a fresh start, he lands a gig at Bingsu for Two, a failing Korean cafe around the corner. Bingsu is a milk-based Korean shaved ice dessert, typically topped with sweet red beans or fruit.
River’s brief stroke of luck comes with a challenge -- his new coworker, Sarang Cho, a short, grumpy goth who embarrassed him at his last job. She’s also the owner’s daughter and fiercely determined to save the cafe.
Everything shifts when River accidentally uploads a video of their chaotic work dynamic on his popular fandom account. The internet loves River and Sarang together and ship them big-time.
To keep the internet’s attention and the cafe’s new customers and subscribers, River and Sarang begrudgingly fake a relationship online.
Between brewing coffee and pretending to be lovey-dovey, River starts seeing a different side of Sarang and also realizes Bingsu for Two feels more like home than anywhere else.
The stakes grow higher when the cafe’s success attracts the attention of his ex-girlfriend and his parents. River faces a choice: Let others dictate his future or fight for the place -- and person -- that have come to mean important to him.
Based in Seattle, Witherspoon has a second YA rom-com slated for release in 2026.
hwangdh@heraldcorp.com
