Minho stared at the ceiling as he lay on his bed inside his darkened room. He kept replaying his first encounter with the queen bee in his mind. Despite what he had told himself that he dislikes her, that he thought of her as a spoiled, rich snob, the truth was that he was really no different from the boys in their school who go crazy about Krystal Jung. He was mesmerized by her the first time he saw her. And the first time didn’t actually happen in school; it happened during the Jungs’ masquerade ball more than a year ago, before classes started. He was sure Krystal doesn’t remember. And how could she know him when he was wearing a mask at that time?

It was almost the end of summer, and Minho was on his second summer job, waiting tables at a local restaurant. It was the very same restaurant that got picked to cater to the masquerade party, held in honor of the Jung sisters who just came back from San Francisco, California and are to stay in Korea for good. The party would be on the Jungs’ vast estate.

Since the theme of the party was masquerade, the serving staff was also required to wear masks like the guests. Minho wasn’t one of the waiters who got picked to serve during the party, but on the last minute he came to relieve one who had fallen ill. It was the reason he arrived late; the party had already started and was in full swing when he got there. He had just put down the tray full of empty wine goblets on the bar when he saw her. Krystal Jung.

That was the first time he laid his eyes on her and he can’t take them off of her. She was wearing a simple white spaghetti-strapped dress that reached just above her knees. Her long hair curled about her in soft waves and she was wearing a white mask accentuated with silver. Her outfit reminded him of Claire Danes as Juliet in the modern Romeo + Juliet movie their English teacher made their class watch last year. Despite the mask obscuring half of her face, he knew she was beautiful, more beautiful than that Hollywood actress Danes, he had thought. At that time he didn’t know who she was; he didn’t know that she was the host of the party’s daughter. He thought she was just one of the guests. Mesmerized, he followed her around. He had never felt this kind of attraction before. The strength and intensity of his attraction to her were something new to him. He knew he had to talk to her.

She might have noticed him following and staring at her through the crowd because she stopped and stared back at him. And then she smiled, but instead of just standing there and wait for him to approach, which he did, she turned and went away.

Minho hurriedly followed her out into the balcony. He watched her as she leaned unto the railing and turned her face up into the moonlit sky.

“You’re following me,” she said, not turning to face him. It was a statement, not a question. And she said that with full confidence and certainty.

“Ne,” he answered and slowly stepped toward her. He went to stand beside her and looked up at the sky, too. The moon shone brightly that night.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Krystal had said.

Not half as beautiful as you,he wanted to say, but didn’t. He suddenly felt tongue-tied. He suddenly realized the boldness of his actions. He had always been a shy and quiet guy, and he never approached a girl first before because they were the ones who do. And that was the first time he had ever felt that way to a girl.

Krystal turned sideways to face him. She removed her mask and Minho became more enchanted. Aside from being beautiful, there was just something about her.

“I’m Krystal Jung. And you are?”

He had been a little taken aback with what he found out then that he wasn’t able to speak up before she spoke again.

“Now, that’s unfair. I’ve taken off my mask. It’s time to take yours off, too,” she reached for his mask but before she could even touch it, both of them turned when the manager of the restaurant he works in suddenly called him. He was standing on the sliding doors that led to the balcony.

“Yah, Choi, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be serving the guests inside? Instead you’re here, flirting with - ,” the manager let out a bark of laughter when he saw Krystal. “Well, aren’t we ambitious? You’re trying to flirt with Mr. Jung’s daughter? Now, go back to work or I’ll get you fired.”

“What? You’re a waiter?” Krystal asked, surprised.

Minho had thought he heard disgust in her voice. He hurriedly turned away.

For the rest of the evening he tried to come near her but she casually stayed away from him, flirting with other boys that belong to her own circle. It had hurt him; for her to look down on him like this just because she thought he belongs to the middle class…it’s too much. He decided that Krystal Jung was a shallow snob. To hell with her beauty; she was quite the opposite inside.