When I read the first volume of To the Stars and Back, the paperback edition of the popular webtoon, I was struck by its use of food to symbolize the characters’ changing relationship. To learn more about how running themes help propel a story forward and develop both the individual characters and their relationship to each other, I spoke with the comic’s creator, Peglo, for his thoughts on how to create a compelling romance — and why romance compels so many readers.

To the Stars and Back is the story of Kang Dae, a moody college student who struggles to connect with others, and Bo Seon, his chipper neighbor who gradually draws Kang Dae out of his shell. Together, they navigate personality clashes, a haunted classroom, and their own pasts — and, yes, there’s plenty of deliciously drawn food.

I asked Peglo several questions about the appeal of romance in general and what made romance the perfect genre to tell Kang Dae and Bo Seon’s story in particular. One of the first things he mentioned was how he wanted to use common romance tropes, such as slow burn and grumpy/sunshine, to explore their deepening relationship.

“I really wanted to make a BL romance with these tropes and wanted to try my hand at a slice-of-life romance,” he told me in an email interview.

Identifying tropes that you and your audience really love is a great way to kick off your epic romance. Tropes can even contribute to relationship development, which the romance genre is uniquely able to focus on without distraction.

“I love the romance genre because you get to focus on the characters’ relationship with each other in depth and from different angles, too….I believe that even when romance stories have a plot outside of the romance, at the core, the relationship and connection between these two characters are most important,” said Peglo.

As I mentioned, food is an important part of developing that connection in To the Stars and Back. At the start of the story, Kang Dae (like many a college student) basically lives off instant noodles. One of the ways that “action-oriented” Bo Seon tries to bond with him is by bringing him cookies. Kang Dae is not receptive to Bo Seon’s overtures at first, but as the two grow closer, we see them going out for pizza and enjoying homemade meals. All of this gains a deeper significance when we learn that Kang Dae has long-standing body-image issues.

“Due to the bullying at [high] school and complications in [Kang Dae’s] life, he ate as a coping mechanism, which then caused the bullying to be worse. Developing into struggles with his body image, Kang Dae then started to exercise and lose the weight after high school, and began to only eat because he had to and not for enjoyment,” Peglo explained. He later added, “Kang Dae and Bo Seon bonding over food and his slow acceptance into loving food again, in a healthier way, was important.”

In the context of the story, food isn’t just food. It means something important yet completely different to each character, giving them something to interact with, fight about, and ultimately bond over.

And that, I believe, is the most important ingredient when cooking up a romance: a convincing way for the future couple to grow and change over the course of the story. For Bo Seon and Kang Dae, that something is food, as well as their shared love of creative endeavors. What will it be in your story?