We chat with debut author Sujin Witherspoon about Bingsu For Two, which is an outrageously charming and infuriatingly adorable enemies-to-lovers coffee shop romance.
Hi, Sujin! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Happy to! I’m a Korean-American writer based in Seattle, which is where I set many of my stories. I love writing across genres, but have a special soft spot for young adult romance and horror–sometimes both at the same time. I’m a fandom nerd, hobby artist, and a little too interested in geology.
My debut novel, Bingsu for Two, is a coming-of-age romcom about two teens who begrudgingly fake a relationship online to save their failing Korean cafe, out January 14, 2025.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
As soon as I learned how to read, I fell in love with it, which naturally translated to a passion for storytelling at large. I remember the epiphany I had when I realized that, instead of waiting around to find the stories I wanted to read, I could just write them myself.
I started writing fanfiction when I was in the third or fourth grade, which is how I learned the craft. It wasn’t until middle school that I started developing original stories, and I wrote my first full novel when I was sixteen. Bingsu for Two, my debut, was written when I was nineteen and in college. I don’t think I’ll ever stop telling stories.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Probably a Junie B. Jones book
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Bones and All by Camille DeAngelis – I’ve never finished a book so quickly
Your debut novel, Bingsu for Two, is out January 14th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Coworker drama, friendship, and love
What can readers expect?
A fun, slow-burn enemies to lovers romcom with tender coming of age lessons at its core.
Bingsu for Two is about half-Korean, full disaster River Langston-Lee, who lands a gig at a failing Korean cafe after dumping his girlfriend and quitting his job at his parents’ coffee shop. When a video of his coworkers that he accidentally posts to his popular fandom account goes viral, he utilizes their fame to save the store–and fakes a relationship with his no-BS coworker, Sarang Cho, to keep the internet’s attention. Between acting lovey-dovey for the camera and brewing coffee together, River realizes Sarang isn’t as heartless as he originally thought, and that he’s found purpose at the cafe for the first time in his life. But when Bingsu for Two’s success catches the attention of his ex and his parents’ coffee shop, River has to decide if he’s willing to stand up for the one place (and girl) that feels like home, or if he’s going to keep letting others dictate his life.
While Bingsu for Two is a sweet, slow-burn romance with plenty of fanfic-esque tropes, it also explores the messy questions of identity and portrays a character who messes up time and time again in his quest to figure out who he is and what he wants.
Where did the inspiration for Bingsu for Two come from?
I was actually in a Korean cafe when I got the idea! I was close to River’s age when I wrote this story, and was asking myself the same questions he struggles with throughout the book, like who am I outside of others’ expectations, and do I really know what I want out of my life? When you’re a teen on the precipice of adulthood, it feels like there’s one right way to do your future. I was inspired to write a young adult novel where the protagonist is a disaster who makes mistake after mistake, who doesn’t want the life that’s expected of him, and I wanted to show readers who are going through something similar that it’s okay to not have all the answers. River doesn’t, and he still gets a happy ending. It’s what I needed to hear at that age.
I also wanted to write a fun story that included my culture and all my favorite tropes, hence the Korean cafe setting, fake dating, enemies to lovers, and found family.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
This whole book was just so fun for me to write. I drafted it as a full-time college student with a job and an internship; this novel was my escape from all those responsibilities.
There’s a lot of scenes I’m excited for readers to experience: the sleepover in the cafe, the first viral video, the coffee scavenger hunt. No spoilers, but my favorite scene in the whole book is a really tender moment between River and Sarang after they have a fight. I love exploring the unspoken, and one of the key themes in the book is that River never knows how to articulate his feelings. In this scene, he admits something entirely by what he doesn’t say.
As for characters, everyone who’s read the book says their favorite is Kai, River’s childhood best friend who is way funnier than him. He’s probably my favorite, too, but I also have a soft spot for River’s little brother, Jace.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Funny enough, this is the easiest book I’ve ever written. I’ve struggled with so many stories before Bingsu for Two and many more since then, and I think the reason this book came so effortlessly to me is because I wrote it for me, first and foremost. It’s based on my lived experiences and catered completely toward what I love to read in a book.
However, I did struggle a bit with how much of myself to give away to the story. I think a lot of authors fear being perceived through their words, and just like my protagonist, I’m a young, mixed-race person with identity issues, anxiety, and a penchant for fandom, so it unfortunately begs some comparisons to be drawn if you know me in real life.
I’m still in the process of overcoming this anxiety of being perceived, but what has helped is hearing readers who are River’s age or younger tell me how seen they felt after reading this book. I’d crack open my own diary and publish it if it meant somebody who thought they were the only one like this could feel understood.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
It’s been the most exciting thing to ever happen to me! I’ve always dreamed of being an author. Everyone’s journey to being published looks different, but mine started a long time ago, when I was a kid writing fanfiction (by hand, no less) and developing my craft. When I was sixteen, I wrote my first real book: a young adult dark fantasy. I began querying it, certain I had written the next international bestseller, as one does when their prefrontal cortex hasn’t fully developed yet. It got about a million billion rejections, if I’m remembering correctly.
Dejected, I needed to fall back in love with writing, which is why I wrote Bingsu for Two: a love letter to all my favorite storytelling elements, fandom, multicultural kids, and myself. I was drafting Bingsu at the same time my good friend and author Anahita Karthik was writing a book of her own, which motivated me to finish the book and find a literary agent. Shortly after graduating from university, I found an agent, and about half a year later, we sold the book the day before my 21st birthday. Probably one of my best birthday gifts.
What’s next for you?
I have a second young adult romcom coming out in 2026, tentatively scheduled. Can’t spill the details on that yet, but if readers enjoy the chaotic antics and slow-burn romance of Bingsu for Two, I hope they stay tuned for that. Fans of reality television and loser love interests will also be in for a treat.
Funny enough, I consider myself more of a horror writer than a contemporary one, so I’m excited to get back onto the spooky scene. I have a few projects I’m hoping to get ready for submission in the next year, including one with a haunted pumpkin patch, a vampire romcom, and one I affectionately call “Cannibal Academia.”
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up in 2025?
My 2025 TBR list is unending! Some I can’t wait for are First Love Language by Stefany Valentine, Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang, Shampoo Unicorn by Sawyer Lovett, Love Canter Action by Katie Gilbert, You’ll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya, and a bit further out with a 2026 release, Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar by Anahita Karthik.
