Im Daon (임다온) was born into one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in South Korea—he’s the third son of Im Seokjin, a real estate and finance magnate known for his influence in both business and politics. But unlike his older brothers, Daon’s entrance into the world was marked with quiet tragedy. His mother, a former ballerina and his father’s mistress, passed away giving birth to him. She left behind only a name and a faint scent of lavender that lingered on her old hairbrush, which Daon keeps hidden in a box under his bed.
He grew up in the family estate, not as an outsider—but not quite a proper heir either. Surprisingly, his stepmother, a dignified and warm woman, insisted on raising him as her own. She often said, "No child should pay for the choices of adults." His older brothers never treated him like anything less than a real sibling; in fact, the second eldest is his biggest supporter, sneaking him dance DVDs and letting him watch idol performances past curfew.
Daon grew up surrounded by luxury: private tutors, grand pianos, tailored suits for family galas. But what he wanted wasn’t to inherit the family company—it was to perform. He remembers watching his first music show at six years old, wide-eyed in front of a giant screen, mouthing lyrics he didn’t know, mimicking choreography in oversized pajamas.
His father dismissed the dream as childish, something he’d grow out of. But Daon didn’t. He began training in secret—singing quietly into his pillow at night, learning choreography from YouTube, saving up money to collect albums. He didn’t want to rely on the Im name to get in; he wanted to earn it.
At 11, he finally confessed his dream to his family. There was shouting, disbelief—but also something unexpected: support. His stepmother enrolled him to academies and offered to drive him to his lessons. His brothers also promised to cheer the loudest if he ever made it on stage.
Now a trainee, Daon is learning how to carve his own name into the world, one beat at a time—not as the third son of the Im family, but simply as Daon, the boy who dreamed of lights, cameras, and music.