NABC Chapter 45: CIRCLING THOUGHTS
Chapter 45: CIRCLING THOUGHTS
Chapter 45: CIRCLING THOUGHTS
HANEUL focused intently on the mirror in front of him, adjusting his posture as he moved to the beat. He was in the middle of a basic drill, stepping in time with the music, and making sure his movements were sharp and precise.@@@@
"Keep your shoulders relaxed, Haneul," the instructor called out, moving through the rows of students. "Everyone, remember to extend your arms fully. Good, now let's try that again from the top."
After a while, the instructor moved to the front and demonstrated a new dance move, breaking it down into clear steps. "Watch closely. Step, turn, and then slide. Like this," he said, showing each part slowly.
As he tried to mimic the slide, Haneul felt the familiar tightness in his muscles. He remembered the first day when the instructor tested his flexibility; his range of motion was almost non-existent. Two days later, there was still no difference. He struggled to extend his legs as far as the others, his movements stiff and inflexible.
"Don't worry, just go as far as you can," the instructor encouraged, noticing his difficulty. "With practice, your flexibility will improve."
Haneul nodded, frustration simmering under his calm expression. He repeated the slide, pushing a little further each time, determined to see progress. After all, he couldn't give up just because his body couldn't follow what he wanted it to do. His dream depended on this. If he couldn't at least dance to a tune by the end of the third week, then he might as well expect to be eliminated early in Boys Odyssey if he ever passed the public audition.
He took a deep breath and followed the instructor once again.
***
Haneul slumped down in a corner after the instructor gave them a 15 minute break. His chest was heaving with each labored breath. He leaned forward, resting his head between his knees, his sweat-soaked hair clinging to his forehead. His muscles trembled with exhaustion, and his entire body ached from the relentless practice.
It was probably a good thing that Haneul always used medicinal perfume to mask his pheromones. With his looks alone, he was already attracting plenty of attention, and if his pheromones were added to the mix, people would surely mob him.
"Robin hyung, do you know of Alphas who can't smell pheromones?"
Haneul's question pulled Robin back from his thoughts. He turned to the other. Haneul was gazing down, playing with the bottle of sports drink, his expression inscrutable.
"Why do you ask?"
Haneul shrugged. "I just got curious."
Although he said that, the truth was he couldn't get the information he had accidentally found about Jung Taeyang out of his mind. He tried to put it away. After all, it was none of his business. But when he was alone, it just kept coming back to him.
He searched the internet about it and found a lot of information. It was a condition called 'Pheromone Blindness'. It's not only Alphas who could get this, but Omegas as well.
Pheromone Blindness was a psychological condition affecting Alphas and Omegas, characterized by an inability to detect or respond to pheromones. The condition was believed to stem from psychological and neurodevelopmental factors that impaired the cognitive processing of pheromone signals. Early childhood experiences, trauma, or developmental disruptions might have contributed to the brain's inability to interpret pheromonal cues.
When he first read that, his initial thought was, what could have traumatized Jung Taeyang so much that he developed that condition?
And that thought just kept circling in his mind.