Your Name Engraved Herein

A-han recalls a recent fight with Father Oliver, the school priest and band director. Father Oliver assumes the quarrel was sparked by a girl A-han likes, but A-han remains silent and does not defend himself. The exchange signals a rising emotional distance between authority and the boys' hidden feelings.

Wang Po-te, nicknamed Birdy, transfers to A-han's all-boys Catholic high school and first meets him during a pool training session. The encounter hints at a budding bond between the two friends. Their evolving dynamic becomes a central thread of the story.

One night, A-han and friends sneak out to meet a group of girls. A-han struggles with social expectations and his own insecurities, highlighting the pressures of adolescence. The moment sets the stage for later complications in their relationship.

A-han witnesses Horn and his group bullying a homosexual student. He intervenes to stop the attack, but the bullies push him toward their aggressive world. Birdy steps in and walks away with the bullied boy, signaling a different path for them both.

After the death of President Chiang Ching-kuo, Birdy and A-han travel to Taipei to mourn on behalf of their school. The journey deepens their bond as they share conversations and observations about life and identity. The trip also exposes them to larger social currents in Taiwan.

They witness police detaining a homosexual protester, Chi Chia-wei. A-han stays calm and urges Birdy to resist impulsive action, highlighting ongoing tensions around sexuality, authority, and conscience.

While watching a film in a video salon, A-han and Birdy share a charged moment that becomes a turning point in their relationship. Birdy reveals his dream of becoming a filmmaker and asks A-han to consider attending film school with him in Taipei.

The next morning, A-han contemplates the emotional weight of the previous night, shaping his sense of self and longing. The moment emphasizes how their closeness unsettles the social expectations surrounding them.

With the start of a new semester and co-education, Birdy becomes closer to Ban-ban after helping her in a dispute. A-han grows jealous and is told to stop spending time with Birdy, while he begins dating another girl. He sends a coded pager message to Birdy, but Birdy remains with Ban-ban.

A-han helps Birdy steal a giant balloon for a prank that doubles as Birdy's love confession to Ban-ban. An older man at the dorm makes a sexual advance toward A-han; he rebuffs it and confides in Father Oliver about wanting to be understood. The scene deepens the sense of vulnerability in the boys' world.

Birdy wrecks A-han's scooter, and A-han helps him recover. Their closeness leads to a private moment that strains their relationship; Ban-ban is expelled and Birdy is put in detention. Birdy's father then beats him, prompting A-han to intervene and a confrontation ensues between the two families.

Learning Birdy is at his house, A-han rushes home and nearly comes out to his parents, then runs away with Birdy to Penghu. They spend time away from the school so their feelings can be confronted, and they part with a bittersweet farewell as Birdy focuses on his exams.

Years later, middle-aged A-han attends his school's marching band reunion hoping to see Birdy but ends up meeting Ban-ban, Birdy’s ex-wife. Ban-ban explains their limited contact, and A-han travels to Quebec City to visit Father Oliver's grave, where Oliver's former lover speaks of his lifelong struggle with sexuality.

A-han unexpectedly encounters Birdy outside a bar. Birdy confesses that he truly loved A-han but could not accept it at the time. As they walk, a younger version of A-han joins in singing the film’s theme, while their older selves observe, offering a poignant closure to their story.