The Basics

General Trivia

Appearance Trivia

The Story

Part I

24 years ago, Kang Jinho was born as the youngest son to a small family of three, then consisting of his mother, a water bender, father, a non-bender, and his slightly older sister Jangmi. They weren't quite well-off, but they were doing pretty okay. His parents managed to provide a little more than enough for all of them, and he was often spoiled by his mother and sister, so he wouldn't dare even dream of complaining. He was a rather social kid, meaning that besides all the attention he already got from the two older girls, he was often surrounded by friends he collected anywhere he went. The family lived in the outskirts of Haean, where his father worked as an renowned artisan amongst the village people, while his mother worked in a temple, where she would often worship the water goddess, Yongwang, known as the guardian of the nation his mother was so fond of. A fondness she would be quick to pass onto both of her children, but most especially Jinho.

The little boy was fascinated by the water tricks and techniques, how malleable it was, how beautiful, how useful it was. With his father being a non-bender and the two having been married from a young age, his mother did not hone her own skills too much, an exception being made for her healing torrent once she started working as a healer at the temple, where they helped her practice. This was a skill that soon came in handy as Jinho turned out to be an adventurous kid, always attempting to bite off more than he could chew and often ending up with small injuries from his stunts.

Jinho was quick to take up swimming, loving the feeling of being in the water, the swimming team is where he met some of the close peers he keeps to this very day. His favorite place, unsurprisingly, became the Water-Bending Theater where his mother would take him at least once a month. The woman would always engage in his questions and curiosity about the elemental bending, though his father often disproved of it, bringing up how harsh it was to awaken such powers and how disappointed the boy would be if he turned out to be unable to awaken them. Whenever this was mentioned, JInho would just frown and avoid his father for the next few minutes until he forgot about it. His passion for water and the nation he'd been brought up in only burning brighter with each new thing he learned, and soon enough, leading to his dream of becoming a royal knight, which once more, his father disproved, especially if he was to be non-bender. 

It might have taken him a good few years, but eventually, Jinho came to realize why this issue had always bothered his father so much. The man saw himself in his youngest son. The bright little boy, so enthusiastic about water bending, so expectant about getting his own power, and the eventual heartbreak if it were to not happen. Another part of him though, had been jealous. Jealous that the boy still had a chance, and wanting for it not to happen so that he wouldn't feel as alone and outcasted as he did.
 

Chapter II

The first few years of his life had been mostly paradise. He was cared for mainly by the two women in his life, who would make sure to indulge him in all the activities he enjoyed and fuel his interests and passions. They'd always been rather protective of him, and maybe that is how he missed it for so long as they shielded him from his father's abuse as the man got more and more frustrated with his own life, ending up destroying the only one of his dreams he'd managed to achieve. His family. 

Jinho couldn't understand his father's frustration at such a young age, even as the other kept telling him how similar they were and how enchanted he'd been with water bending himself in younger days Jinho still managed to miss the bitterness in his eyes. Similar? The other couldn't have been more wrong. The frustration and spite eventually turned into rage and violence directed at his wife, and later on, at his oldest daughter as well, as the girl attempted to protect the older woman, awakening her own bending abilities in consequence.

The boy was often out of the house, studying, training, or out with friends and the two girls managed to keep Jinho shielded from all of this by encouraging him to stay out and enjoy his life outside, even as more time passed and his father got worse. It wasn't until he was 16 when things finally took a turn for the worse. Jinho had been out for a late night swim with Hyeonju, staying back to enjoy the water for just one more hour as the other left. Had he known better he would've gone straight home, hell, he wouldn't even have left in the first place. But he didn't. And he'll always blame himself for never noticing.

From the moment Hyeonju left, his night is mostly a blur. He remembers seeing his father in the distance and waving at the man as he approaches the water. His father ignored his greeting, he seemed weird, almost dazed, but as the other got close enough Jinho distinctly remembers noticing something behind his eyes, like he was mad or upset. "Everything okay?" was as much as Jinho could utter out in question as the other walked straight into the water, fully clothed, and place one of his hands  on top of his head, the other on his shoulder and taking advantage of Jinho's surprise to dunk the boy underwater. From then on his memory is rather foggy and the only thing he can really recall is the feeling of panic and the way his body struggled to get out of his father's grip, desperately reaching for the surface for even the briefest of moments, just long enough to in sufficient oxygen to keep him alive. If anyone had asked him how long he was underwater he'd say several minutes, though looking at it realistically, it couldn't have been that long. The last thing he heard was sound of his friend's screams muffled by the water pressure and his slowly slipping consciousness. 

When he wakes up the following day at the hospital, his world had done a whole 180º turn, forever changed by the happenings from the previous night, which had been the of a growing issue which had been kept from him for years now. He seems to dissociate from the experience for the first few days, and it is only when Hyeonju visits him that the pieces slowly start to fall into place, the doctor's words replaying in his mind, now louder, clearer, than when he'd first spoken them. His mother was gone. His sister was gone. The newly awakened water bending abilities had apparently prevented his death. His father had been arrested and was under investigation for the murders of both his mother and sister as well as his attempted murder. His head hurt. He didn't want to think about it, and for the next few days, as he was kept at the hospital under inspection he just slept most of the days hoping to wake up to a different reality.

Once he was released though, he was forced to accept it, and life got increasingly harder. For the following year he distanced himself from friends and acquaintances, keeping mostly to himself and staying home, away from everyone, away from the water. Though thanks to the strong bonds he'd built throughout his life, he was not alone, and the people he'd once held close came together to check on him and make sure he'd hold up. It took a while to convince him to get theraphy, but he eventually accepted. He knew he needed to get better if he still aimed to get into the army, and he wouldn't let his father destroy his life anymore than he already had. He still had a dream. He wanted to be a knight. He wanted to learn to love the water again. To serve the water nation.

With help from professionals as well as close friends and his new chosen family, he slowly began to pick himself up. The fear that had gotten a hold of his life, especially when living in the Nation where everything is built off and surrounded by water, was slowly tamed, and although he still can't have anyone touch him or hold him in the water, he could at least learn to swim again. It was a tough year, but once he finally turned 18 he was doing okay, and he knew that enlisting in the military would help him. It would have his entire focus and would lead him down the right path. He knew it.

Part II

Chapter I

Due to his life circumstances Jinho did not awaken his elemental power until rather late and as the years passed by he had, through much sorrow, settled for not getting it. Though that never stopped him from aiming for the treasured goal he'd fixed for himself. Jinho dreamed of becoming a Royal Knight and serving the Water Nation's royal family in defending the nation he'd come to cherish so strongly. Whether he was to be an elemental bender or not, he was dead-set on becoming a knight, even if he'd have to rely on only physical training for it.

Once he did get his elemental abilities though, things changed. For a while he did not hone them, wanting to show that you could still be strong and successful even without them, but also due to the heavy fear of water he'd developed after his father's attempt. It was hard to practice when your body instinctively shriveled at even just the thought of water. Yet, he was doing better now, and the slow but sure practice helped him overcome his fear little by little as well. As he enlisted in the military, he started by refusing to use them in training, growing incredibly strong in hand-to-hand combat and weapon training. It was only once the wounds started to heal, that he accepted that the denial of such abilities was only setting him back. It was a limitation to a skill that could only make him stronger. Letting go of the grudge he still held against his father, he focused on getting better, stronger. Aiming for his ultimate goal. And with time, he started training his elemental skills as well.

It was only after he accepted this that he finally managed to take the first step up the hierarchy and become a colonel, and later on, a major. The first skill he strengthened was the underwater adaptation. As a previous swimmer, he was glad to be finally be able to get into the water again without the panic and fear taking over him. He took advantage of his previous swimming experience to build up this skill, before taking up the mist manipulation, which soon came in handy as he learned to combine this with his speed and stealth, making him rather strong in overpowering opponents in the mist. The most recent skill he's been focusing on is his healing torrent, something that remind him of his mother and that can be beneficial for both him and others around him. He thinks of it as his mother's legacy, and unlocking it was like a new boost for him reminding him of why he wanted to be a knight in the first place. Noawdays he sticks to a strict training regimen, both for physical training and bending skills, intending to climb up the military hierarchy and eventually get called by the royal family for a worthy position with the Royal Knights. 

With the passing years, things slowly turned out for the better for Jinho. He was serving the army as he had always intended, giving it everything he had in hopes of one day being recognized for bigger things. He'd also let go of his walls, allowing people close again. Having always been such a social person, it was hard being on his own, and it had always been a struggle to force himself not to care when he had always been one to get attached easily. Through help and incentive of a previous teammate, he returned to swimming as well, though it still required specific conditions for him to feel safe. So, as of this moment his life consists of his love and dedication for his nation, the one his mother had loved so very much, his slowly returning love for swimming, and making sure he is surrounded by people, old and new.

The person

 

Jinho is an extrovert. He likes socializing, and as much as he also enjoys his own alone time like everybody else, he does prefer to be surrounded by people, be it at a large crowded party, or a small get together with close friends. typically hates being alone.

Due to his love for water and sports, ended up joining a swimming team, though he can get really competitive, leading to him often ending up taking it a bit too seriously sometimes. Still, he is great at teamwork which has shaped up even further with his military experience. He is also incredibly focused and determined when it comes to achieving his goals.

Regarding friendships he is loyal to a fault and very reliable and trustworthy, as much as he is overprotective. Doesn't actively look for love as he believes it should come naturally, but he does get attached rather easily and hence ends up misreading signs rather often, though he will usually be honest and straight forward about his own feelings he can sometimes be very oblivious about other people's feelings as well. Whether he is interested or not, you will know. But if you aren't open with him, he does tend to read people wrong.

When he gets too focused on his past, his family, and when things are just not working out, he can easily spiral into a weird twisted mood and start to become very negative and at times even rude, contrary to his usual very positive and bright self. This happens more often around the anniversary of his family's murder. He can usually be picked up by a select few of his close friends who manage to bring him out of this state.

As he doesn't like being vulnerable in front of others, he tends to refuse help even when it is needed, believing he should be able to dominate his issues on his own. He is also a perfectionist which can be both a good thing as it fuels him to do better, but it also means he will end up punishing himself for even the smallest of failures.

He is not too big on social media as he feels it usually just brings about and fuels unnecessary drama. He also knows he would easily get addicted. Hence, he doesn't use it at all, even if he has at one point or another created an account by peer pressure. He does, on the other hand, use an app for intended for meeting new people as a way to create connections and communicate with people from other nations, intending on one day traveling to meet and explore all three of them. Has occasionally visited the other nations, though mostly on duty, for common events, or for very short periods of time.