Kwon Dabin

## Biography

As the oldest son and firstborn in the Kwon family, expectations were always high for Dabin. They were lower class and the kids were taught the value of money at a very young age. The parents were cheap and would rarely spend money on anything that wasn’t deemed necessary. So, that’s what made it so amazing when Dabin’s parents agreed to let him join the swim team.

Swimming wasn’t a super popular sport in his hometown, and perhaps that was the reason his parents consented. It was relatively cheap and there was no expensive equipment to be bought. They most likely figured that it was a childhood curiosity that wouldn’t last very long and he’d quit soon enough. But their assumptions were to be shot down.

Dabin very quickly climbed the ranks in the town’s swim team. He was fast, accurate, and skilled like no other. But because it wasn’t a popular sport, the school he attended wasn’t willing to pay extra funding for it. Unless they came up with their own money and funding, the team would have to be shut down. He got a job at age twelve to help raise money, determined to save the sport he loved so much, but it was to no avail. He tried his best and worked himself to the bone but his best didn’t seem to be good enough. Deciding his fate was in his own hands, Dabin made an important decision.

When offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he moved from his small hometown to the big city of Seoul on his own to pursue a career in competitive swimming. There was a school in the city that was willing to accept him on a scholarship after seeing him in a regional competition and it was as if everything was turning out for the best. And it truly seemed so. He was praised for his skill and even made it into a professional league upon his graduation from high school, with the phrase ‘Olympics’ floating around as well. He was deemed a prodigy and was made to believe that nothing could go wrong. Everything was perfect, until tragedy struck and things began to crumble.

It wasn’t a fast tragedy. There was no sudden collapse of a kingdom, no sudden crack in the mirror. For Dabin, the change was slow. It began with an injured shoulder. Nothing too serious, easily healed with some rest and a few weeks of physical therapy. This was fine for him. Taking a break was something he hadn’t done in a while, and it was nice to stop for a bit. However, being so far away from home finally began to take its toll when he slowed down. He was always so busy that the reality of his new life had never quite sunk in before. His family cut ties with him, figuring he was an adult now and one less mouth to feed. The sadness that overtook him became unbearable and life began to lose colour for him.

The painkillers started as an assist. A way to numb the pain while he slept, or exercised. But they soon became more than just a crutch. When he was taking them, he felt strong and invincible and it eventually became an addiction and ultimately his downfall. After years of working hard to climb to the top, stopping at nothing to reach his dreams, the ground beneath him had shattered and everything in his world was coming down. He was warned by the school: seek help, or be kicked out. He tried, really hard at first, but the stress was a lot to handle by himself without the support of his family miles away. He didn’t have friends to confide in and he felt isolated even in a city of a million people. It was easier to pop another pill and buzz away the problems than to deal with them head-on, so that was what he did. Everything seemed nicer after a pill and a nap. Everything felt better when he couldn’t feel anything at all. When he was kicked out of school, that was when the shit really hit the fan.

Because he was there on a scholarship, the dorm he resided in and the amenities he was rewarded with before were stripped from him. He was left with nothing but the clothes on his back and the few scraps of luxury he could fit into a backpack. It wasn’t as hard as he’d expected, being homeless. Sleeping on the ground wasn’t so bad if you were high, but as his prescriptions came to an end and he became desperate, Dabin was willing to do anything to stay feeling invincible. He began committing crimes. First petty theft, gambling, and even selling his body for any bit of cash he could get his hands on, a feat that almost ended fatally. He was no longer the good boy from a small town who had the world in front of him. Now, he was just Dabin, an addict and a trainwreck in the shape of a man.

When the money ran out and his desperation was higher than ever, Dabin often found himself bloodied and bruised in alleyways as insanity took over. Even mugging weak and innocent people wasn’t below him anymore. His affinity and addiction to painkillers caused him to go to extreme lengths just to stay numb. Even going as far to self inflict wounds or fake injuries for prescriptions at the hospital. He was becoming more and more reckless as it required more and more pills to keep him dazed, teetering on the brink of insanity and silently pleading for help. That was when a gang found him. Washed up and on the verge of death after messing with the wrong group of men twice his size, Dabin met a member of the The Lost Boys and begged for a spot. He had nowhere else to go, no one to call family, and nothing to truly live for anymore so he desperate to find an in. He promised to work his hardest to remain useful and has never looked back since.

His demons still follow him to this day. They lurk around every corner and hide in the back of his mind. The only way to quiet them is to pop a pill and let the pain wash away. Any kind of pill he can easily get his hands on is good, although he prefers the familiarity of painkillers. But he knows he has to earn his keep. When he’s doing well, Dabin is happy and upbeat, or seemingly so. He works part time at a cafe to maintain appearances, but sometimes it’s not so easy pretending to be normal, especially when his main job interferes. If he’s having a bad day, you’ll sure as Hell know and it will how in his actions. His darker side is something not many people have seen and survived, but as long as he stays high and happy, Dabin isn’t too bad to be around.

To be honest, Dabin is a bit embarrassed of his situation. No one but his own gang and some of their allies really knows he’s even in one. He manages to make friends and keep secrets and play the part of a normal guy.  He practically lives two lives– one where he’s a washed up criminal and one where he’s an innocent citizen. He tries his hardest to maintain both lives equally, but eventually the facade is bound to shatter and he knows this. Eventually, people will find out and he’ll be forced to accept the reality of his new life and the consequences it brings, but until then he’ll try his damnedest to make sure he stays afloat, no matter the costs.