I think it made for great shows of relationships with legacy regarding familial ties and trauma, so please let me know more about how you went about fleshing out that emotional journey for both characters.Įmery Lee: I think Theo and Gabi are less opposites and more two different sides of the same coin. Keshav Kant: Speaking more on their differences because Theo and Gabi, at first glance, are opposites, a large portion of the story is devoted to Theo’s passionate dislike for his family’s cafe while Gabi is desperately trying to cling to the cafe his parents want to let go of. I mostly just have a feel for what I want the characters to be like and it’s largely all vibes, then I throw them into the ring and see what happens. Was that something that you mapped out before you set pen to paper or something that occurred more organically?Įmery Lee: It was definitely organic! I don’t do a whole lot of planning before writing. Keshav Kant: On the other hand, Gabi is a very passive person, he’s sort of going with the motions for the most part, and that contrast between the two of them makes for significant friction. That’s a really emotionally-charged time, and it can be really hard to work out your feelings in a healthy way if you don’t have the right support system, so I really wanted Theo to embody that. Keshav Kant: Okay, we love an angry gay we do! But poor Theo is out here ready to burst a damn vessel, so I have to know, what was the inspiration for Theo being the ball of angst and anger?Įmery Lee: What are teens if not balls of angst and anger? Haha, but honestly, I find as a reader and writer, I most relate to characters who are very intense in their feelings, especially when it comes to teens.

Will they be able to save their businesses? Why do they have such intense beef? Keep reading our chat with Emery to find out! But eventually, they have to set their rivalry aside when a trendy gentrifier cafe comes to town and starts stealing business from their family’s cafes.

Author of Meet Cute Diary Emery Lee is back for another interview about his news rivals-to-lovers cafe romance Café con Lychee! Café con Lychee tells the story of Theo Mori and Gabi Moreno, two high schoolers with a complicated relationship and a fair amount of bad blood between them.

Cafe con lychee