Trinity Six | NCT DREAM

043

"Is this really necessary?" I asked the others, taking a look around the studio we were standing in. The dark walls were lined with shelves and frames that displayed intricate and detailed works of art, all meant to get pierced into the skin where they would stay with you forever. "We all have one," Renjun said, giving me a warm smile as if to reassure me, "It's a symbol of our group. A symbol of who we are and who we belong to." he explained.

"And what am I getting, then?" I asked, looking around at the walls once again, "You said that yours were all different."

"Yours should be the same as Mark's," Jisung said, stepping forward, "Since you'll be the fourth unit, yours should match as the rest of us do."

"Wait," I said, turning to the eldest of the group, "Mark do you have a tattoo as well? What about NCT 127 then?"

"I never got their tattoo," Mark admitted, looking a bit uncomfortable as Haechan turned to him with a look of astonishment, "I knew that I didn't belong there. It was a mistake from the beginning, and I didn't want it to be permanent. Trinity Six is my home," he said.

"Well, technically it's more like Quartet Eight now," Chenle said, snickering a little, "but that sounds stupid so maybe we should come up with something else."

"How about Divison Eight?" Renjun suggested, looking around the group as they thought about the name, nodding their heads at his proposal, "We'll still be Trinity Six to the public, as a way to keep y/n and Mark off 127's radar but within the group, we'll be Divison Eight, all of us."

I felt my heart swell a little as I let the name run through my head. I was really a part of the team now, and it was about to be made official as soon as I sat down in the chair in front of me. "Can I see yours, then?" I asked, "Can I see your tattoos? I want to know what I'm getting into first."

I was expecting them to roll up their sleeves, or maybe the bottoms of their pants to reveal the ink. What I wasn't expecting was for all seven of the men in front of me to start taking off their shirts. I felt heat rush to my cheeks as I blushed at the sight, turning my head to the side and trying to avoid all of the skin and muscle that was suddenly revealed. "You're not going to be seeing all that much if you look the other way, dove," Haechan said, and so, reluctantly, I turned back to the group only to let out a gasp at the artwork that was permanently carved into the smooth skin on their backs; perfect circles containing an intricate illustration of an animal.

"The Black Tortoise of the North" Jaemin said, motioning to Aramis, "That's the one Jisung and Chenle have. It corresponds to the season of winter, and its element is water. It's also commonly associated with longevity and wisdom."

"Then there's the Vermilion Bird of the South," Jaemin continued, nodding his head to Porthos, Haechan, and Renjun standing on the other side of the two youngest, "As the opposite of North, South symbolizes summer. The Vermilion Bird is often considered to be identical with the phoenix, which is why it's also associated with fire. It's a symbol of good luck."

"Mark, and you as well, have the White Tiger of the West. It corresponds with the season of autumn, and its element is metal as it had been held to be the God of War as well. The White Tiger is perceived as a protector and a defender."

"What do you and Jeno have, then?" I asked, walking over to Jaemin and letting my fingers trace the lines that made up the animal on his back. He shivered under my touch but continued nonetheless. "The Azure Dragon of the East," he explained, taking a deep breath as he straightened up, the muscles in his back flexing a little under my hand, "It symbolizes the season of spring and is considered one of the noblest animals in Chinese mythology, which is why it's the head of the Four Symbols. Normally, the dragons are associated with water, but the Azure Dragon's element is actually wood. It's a symbol of justice, benevolence, and a bringer of wealth and good fortune. A fearsome and mighty creature."