How to Pretend You Didn’t Notice That Flirty Smile

There comes a moment in life when someone looks at you with that smile — not the polite one, not the friendly one, but the kind that lingers just a second longer than necessary. It’s subtle, harmless, deliciously suspicious, and suddenly you’re left wondering: Was that flirtation? Or does my brain just need sleep?

Either way, it’s now your job to pretend you didn’t notice. Because acknowledging it might mean admitting something true… and we can’t have that, can we?

So you do what every normal human does in a moment of emotional panic: you act casual. Which, ironically, is the least casual thing you will ever attempt in your life.

🎭 Step 1: The “I Wasn’t Looking at You” Act

The moment that smile lands, your eyes will betray you and make contact for one tiny second. That’s enough to cause chaos. So immediately, you must stare at:

• The floor

• A random corner

• The air

• Anything that is not their face

Bonus points if you pretend you suddenly remembered something important, like how breathing works.

😑 Step 2: The Neutral Expression Struggle

You must not smile. You must not blush. You must not look like your insides just did a somersault. Your face needs to be as unreadable as a math problem at 6:00 AM.

But here’s the tragic truth: the more you try not to react, the more your face joins the rebellion. Your lips fight not to curl, your cheeks warm up like they’re charging a battery, and your eyes sparkle with betrayal. Neutrality becomes impossible. So you settle for a look that says, “I am dead inside,” hoping it still looks mysterious.

☕ Step 3: Distract Yourself With Anything

Pretend to check your phone. Pretend to drink water. Pretend to choke on water. Pretend to be busy with absolutely nothing. Pick a random object and treat it like it’s deeply important. For example:

“Wow, this wall has texture.”

Congratulations — you are now officially acting weird. But at least you didn’t admit you noticed.

🙃 Step 4: Pretend the Smile Was Totally Normal

Smile back? Impossible. Confront them? Terrifying. So you go with the safest option: pretend their smile meant nothing. Ignore the spark. Downplay the moment. Let your brain lie to your heart like it always does.

Convince yourself:

• Maybe they smile like that at everyone.

• Maybe they weren’t flirting, just… breathing intensely.

• Maybe they had something stuck in their teeth.

Lie until even the truth feels confused.

🫣 Step 5: Think About It Later, Alone

Here comes the real dramatic part. Hours after successfully pretending you didn’t notice, your brain opens the file again. The smile returns. You replay it from every angle. You analyze it like a detective studying a crime scene.

You recall the eye crinkle. The slow grin. The raised eyebrow. Suddenly, you’re a romantic FBI agent with too much imagination and zero evidence.

You wonder: What if they meant it?

And the answer might be terrifyingly lovely.

💘 The Truth Behind the Pretending

We don’t ignore flirty smiles because we don’t like them. We ignore them because we like them too much. It’s safer to pretend we didn’t notice than to risk revealing how fast our heart just sprinted. Pretending is protection — a cute little emotional shield wrapped in fake nonchalance.

So yes, you looked away, acted busy, pretended nothing happened. But that smile landed anyway. It always does. And no matter how hard you try to ignore it, that moment stays with you longer than it should… which is exactly why it’s so fun.

After all, romance doesn’t always start with words. Sometimes, it begins with a smile you pretend you didn’t see. 😌✨