Jinseong quietly gazed at Danbi.
Danbi looked much younger than the Danbi in his memories, wearing a smile reminiscent of that time.
Danbi, without a trace of shyness under Jinseong’s gaze, beamed at him and said, “Now that I’ve said everything Grandpa asked me to, I’ll say what I want~ Thank you for saving me and giving me a new body, Jinseong Park!”
“Thank you?”
“Yeah! I really think I’m grateful~ Specifically, if you mention a wish, I’d like you to grant it if it’s reasonable?”
“A wish, huh.”
Jinseong stared silently at Danbi, who was thanking him, and then, as if he had made a decision, he withdrew his hand from her head.
“You were born a long time ago, but you weren’t truly born in the real sense.”
Jinseong offered her a gentle smile.
“Birth is truly a mysterious thing. Simply coming out of the womb or hatching from an egg doesn’t mean you’ve truly entered the world. Only when you affirm your own existence can you be said to be truly born. Since ancient times, a person’s identity has been established by a name, and it was only after receiving that name that they could set out on their own journey and become an adult. The term ‘adult’ signifies someone who can exist alone and signifies the minimal condition to influence the world.”
He pulled out a piece of paper that was folded multiple times from his pocket and burned it.
“In that sense, you are a truly peculiar being. You clearly exist as a separate entity, yet you could not step outside your body, so you are both born and not born. However, it’s undeniable that you exist.”
While looking at Danbi, Jinseong grasped the air as if pulling something and somehow obtained paper and a pen.
“Therefore, in the past, you could do nothing. You were given a prenatal name, but it held no meaning and could not become your name, leaving you to exist without being recognized by anyone. But now you have obtained a body and embarked on a journey to influence the world. And I want to give you a gift. I may not be able to become a godfather, but I can be your namer.”
Danbi blinked her eyes and looked at Jinseong.
“I’ll name you first. A name defines a person and represents that person. It’s a boundary that distinguishes the individual and symbolizes your identity. In that sense, there can’t be a name that suits you better.”
“A name, you say?”
“Do you dislike it?”
“No~ I’d love it if my benefactor was the one naming me! But please make it pretty~”
Jinseong moved his hand to the paper and extracted ink.
The ink emerged in a thin thread-like form, floating in the air, swimming like a snake, and flew towards Danbi, entering her body.
“Your name is Anastasia (Anastasiya, Анастасия). It carries the meaning of resurrection.”
The one who obtained a body after resurrection.
The one born from the flame of consciousness.
The one who, like a phoenix, gained a body through fire and revealed herself to the world.
This name, carrying the meaning of resurrection, would represent her best.
“Anastasia….”
Danbi seemed to like the name that slipped from Jinseong’s lips, mumbling it over and over with a dazed expression.
“Next is your surname. However, this time, your choice is important.”
Jinseong asked her with a soft smile.
“Do you prefer a Russian surname or a German one?”
Just like in a famous sci-fi movie where someone hands out a red pill and a blue pill to prompt a choice, Jinseong extended his empty hands toward her, asking.
Would she pick Russia or Germany?
But unlike the movie, he only stated that. The results of her choice were not disclosed from his lips. The light in Jinseong’s eyes sparkled at intervals, unmistakably indicating that this was a choice that would profoundly influence her life, yet he merely insisted that she choose.
Danbi tilted her head at Jinseong’s question and then looked at her right hand.
“I prefer the German one~ It really feels like I’m a real sister with my younger sibling!”
The choice was made.
“Alright. Understood.”
“What name will it be~ Will I have the same surname as my sister?”
“No.”
He smiled.
“You were born in the song of spring. So, the name ‘Winter’ doesn’t suit you.”
Once more, ink oozed out from the paper and flew towards Anastasia’s chest. As all the ink soaked in, a feeling emerged that the presence she radiated sharpened, becoming more pronounced.
“Your name is Blue Zoisite Lenz. Shortened, it will be B Lenz. Your full name from now on is Anastasia B Lenz.”
Winter, carrying the meaning of ‘vacuum.’
Spring, which means warm.
Though not the same surname, the transition of seasons can also signify a sisterly relationship.
“Anastasia B Lenz….”
Danbi caressed her chest.
She rubbed her name deep inside, ensuring the ink could penetrate deeper, leaving an everlasting mark that would never fade away. Until her pale skin turned crimson from the friction, she continued to rub her solar plexus, eventually looking up and smiling brightly as she said to Jinseong.
“Thank you! It’s such a beautiful name!”
“Don’t mention it. It was simply your choice.”
“But, by the way, what name would you have given me if I chose Russian?”
Jinseong, gazing at her as if to ask if she really wanted to know, was met with her unwavering gaze. With a subtle smile, he opened his mouth.
“The name isn’t something you need to know right now.”
If she had chosen the Russian option, the meanings of the name and surname would likely have been similar to what she had now.
Likewise, he would have given her the name Anastasia (Анастасия), which also carried the meaning of resurrection, and the name Vesna (весна), which means spring.
However, middle names would have considerably differed.
Unlike the relatively free naming conventions in Europe, Russia employs “patronymics” as middle names. Due to the strong emphasis on patronymics in Russian culture, if she were given a patronymic derived from Jinseong, she would be bound to him and influenced by him.
“However, since your curiosity seems unbearable, I’ll tell you. The meanings wouldn’t stray far from what they are now. The sound would simply change; Lenz would have been Vesna.”
“That’s pretty too~”
“But isn’t Lenz more beautiful?”
“Yes, I think Lenz resonates a bit more with me~ Maybe it’s because it’s in the same language as my younger sibling?”
Anastasia made her choice.
Whether it was the right one, she couldn’t say.
Freedom and safety.
Living freely, albeit at risk.
Being collared but safe.
Which of these would be better for her was uncertain.
Yet, she gained a bizarre strategy from destiny, and through that strategy, she obtained choices and seized another fate. This was different from her prior life, where she bore the name Anastasia Alexandrovna Vesna (АнастасияАлександровна весна), and different from the fate Jinseong intended to present to her.
The destiny of moving forward with the name Anastasia B Lenz was a completely uncharted path.
Jinseong watched Anastasia as she joyfully chatted with Ella, seeming pleased that she liked her name.
He recalled a poem by Robert Frost—“The Road Not Taken.”
“There were two roads diverging in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
Jinseong gazed at his former comrade, who would now live a different fate.
“Congratulations on being resurrected, being born, and receiving your name.”
“Heh, I’m the one who should be more grateful! You saved Ella, saved me, and gave me a name! I feel like I could repay this for a lifetime!”
“That much isn’t necessary. Just—”
As Jinseong spoke, he recalled Danbi’s past self.
The memories from his previous life—when she had asked for information about a magic spell she stumbled upon.
No matter how changed her fate, curious Anastasia would surely wander around the world. And during that time, she would discover countless ruins and magic spells, just as before.
“Remember, if you mention a wish, I’ll likely grant it.”
“Sure! I got it! Anytime!”
Jinseong nodded satisfaction at her cries, seeming pleased. He then turned his body and vanished, disappearing as if he simply evaporated into thin air. Like seeing a ghost, Danbi blinked, revealing her curiosity.
“Sister, sister! Did you just see that? Huh?”
She approached Ella, excited like a child who just saw something wondrous, insisting.
She didn’t stop at just speaking; she also pressed down on her own head, rolling her hair about as if teasing her legs with a foam roller.
Seeing this, Ella seemed annoyed. With all her strength, she grabbed Anastasia’s head tightly and, gritting her teeth, said,
“Stay still, you scammer! And explain it properly to me and Li so we can understand — systematically, in chronological order! Lay it all out clearly!”
The two spectators watching Jinseong perform the ritual, who had been as stiff as a hay bale, slowly approached Ella and Anastasia’s side.
Anastasia, feeling the warmth radiating from the three people around her, smiled delightfully and said, “Alright~ I’ll give you an awesome explanation from now on!”
