Say Yes!

Moon to the Byul to the Yi

Jin checked twice, thrice, and read the words sculpted from shining brass metal for the fourth time with squinted eyes and a pointed finger.

'Moon Residence'

Jin released a breath he had been holding. He knew Byulyi was loaded but he didn't imagine it would be this much.

The white brick wall surrounding Byulyi's house was, well, surrounding their house. The wall was still several inches taller than Jin that even if he stood on his tip toes, he could just barely see the dark, almost black, roof tiling of the house. Bamboos—the thin, expensive ones that his mother usually raved about whenever they would pass by an expensive subdivision—peeked at the top of the fence, blocking any more view of the house.

He hadn't even seen the main house but from just seeing the gates and how it hid the house, Jin knew that inside was a mansion. Anywhere he looked in the neighbourhood, the fences looked the same. Tall, looming, sturdy stones set to hide expensive mansions from nosy teenage boys who sweat much more than the average.

Jin rolled his shoulders back as he pointed his finger in front of the doorbell. The sooner that he got over himself, the sooner this would be done with.

Ignoring the rapid thud, thud, thudding of his heart and the cold drop of sweat as it rolled down his temple, Jin pushed the small white button with an unsteady finger. A dull buzz resounded from the white speaker.

"Who is it?" a woman with a raspy voice asked. Jin could tell that she was an old woman just from her voice. It reminded Jin of a time when Byulyi was babbling about a Mrs Yang who dealt with the house chores and made amazing potato pancakes.

Jin cleared his throat and pushed the button to speak again. "I'm Jin—Kim Seok Jin Ma'am. And I'm a...friend of Byulyi."

"Oh! You're that Jin," the assumed Mrs Yang exclaimed. "If you could wait for just a second, dear. I'll just get Byulyi."

The speaker buzzed again and then it was silent.

It was going to be the first time that he was going to see her again since...their altercation. For some reason, the thought had Jin's heart doubling in speed and his hands even sweatier than before.

As he wiped his wet hands on the side of his pants, Jin found himself staring at the gleaming metal that spelled out Byulyi's last name.

People's characters, image—their identity—were always going to be tied to their names. It was why parents always made a fuss in choosing names for their children—especially Jin's parents who even had an argument because of it.

After months and months of debating and brainstorming and reading every goddamned baby name book, his parents narrowed it down to three names: Jihoon, Junyong, and Yeonwoo—all of which were definitely not his name now.

Seokjin wasn't even at the top of their list. It was a name that his father's eyes briefly caught on a page in a book he doesn't even remember. Though the meaning of the name never seemed to leave his father's mind.

'Seok' meant great while 'Jin' meant precious and valuable.

He was their first son. Their only treasure. Their great treasure.

That night in the delivery room, his father had one look at him and the world just seemed to fall into place. He carried Jin in his arms and the name just propelled itself forward from the back of his mind and out of his mouth.

So, he was named Seokjin.

Jin never thought Moon Byulyi's name was fitting to her character.

He imagined a person named Moon Byulyi would be gentle and classy, the type of person that would be featured in perfume commercials on TV while the wind blew behind them and the ocean crashed loudly. They would have a lovely smile and their hands would be soft, their fingers long and thin and elegant.