manager blocked my internal transfer twice and I'm trying to figure out if that's normal or a sign to just leave

First time I asked, got a vague 'not the right time' with no explanation. Second time, same answer almost word for word, and that's when it started feeling less like timing and more like a pattern. Haven't decided if I bring it up directly one more time or just start looking outside. Curious if anyone's had the second ask actually work after the first one got shut down.