I totally get this confusion. One the one hand you hear ‘show disinterest’, but then on the other ‘be direct’. You need to just try out these things and work out what works best for you. With me, I love being quite sexual and direct as soon as I meet them. I will flirt and show disinterest, but that comes later. What you say is pretty insignificant, it’s mainly communicated through your voice tone, eye contact and body language.

But anyway, for yourself, try go in communicate this through your words, tell them you think they’re cute/pretty/beautiful/sexy, etc. Do it 100 times, then see how you feel about it all.