Chapter 17: Suggestion

The man smirked after he turned his back at William while walking and left the park because he said something to Daniella while they were talking earlier, before William came and before Daniella decided to go home.
"If I were you, I'd go home, and maybe he forgot that you have a meeting today."
Daniella looked into his eyes. "Maybe he's just late, so maybe an hour later I'll decide if I'm going home."
The man shook his head. "Lunch is coming up. Will you put him first before yourself?"
Daniella smiled a little. "That's right."
"No, it shouldn't be like that. It's not the woman who should wait for the man, especially since you are the one here and it is dangerous to be alone."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "How did you know that was the man I was waiting for now?"
"Why, so are you waiting for a woman?"

"No."
"So he's a man."
"What if I'm waiting for a gay man?" Her two eyebrows were raised at him.
The man grinned. "It's still a man, and the dog will never be a cat." It even winked at Daniella. He put his elbow on the table and folded his hands. "Maybe you have a crush on the man you're waiting for."
"Nothing, ah," she innocently replied.
"Still pretending, huh? You won't wait nearly three hours if he's not special to you."
"Why does it seem like you know so much?" Daniella's question is annoying.
He laughed softly. "If you only knew, you might want tips from me to give a lesson to the man who didn't show up for your meeting today."
Daniella looked at him as if judging. "I'm sure you'll be happy with what I say if you just follow me. Do you want to hear my suggestions?"
Even though she was hesitant, she agreed. "Okay, go ahead. What's your suggestion?"
He smiled. "It's good; don't worry. It's Saturday, isn't it?" Daniella nodded. "When you come to your school again on Monday, you'll be a different person."
She frowned at it and wondered what he said. "Different person, how?"
"The opposite of your attitude. What you used to do, you will reverse. For example, you are a happy person, but suddenly you will be serious now, like that."
"So what if William can't feel it?"
"I feel like you're always asking for his attention," he replied seriously.
Her eyes widened. "No! That's not true." She was lying, and it's so obvious.
He shook his head at Daniella's reaction. "That's why I'm talking about when your reaction is obvious, so I'll give you what you have to do to make up for it, at least somehow. When you go to school, be a quiet and serious person first. When you used to say hello right away, now you'll just walk past him and take no action. I'm sure he'll be so surprised and unbearable that he'll be the first to take the step to ask you and talk to you. "

"Are you sure? He's numb that he might not bite to my acting either."
"Don't worry if I'm the one who planned it. It will succeed." He still smiled mischievously.
Whether she is doubtful of the man's suggestion because maybe William has an emergency or it's really too late but it's almost noon and it's still not there, whatever William's reason is, she will follow what the man says no matter what the result is.
"All right, I'll do it," she agreed.
The man smiled at her answer. "Good then."
Daniella stood up and arranged her things on the table, but as she put them in her bag, she stopped for a moment. "What's your name?"
"Just call me a mushroom."
"Mushroom?" She was confused.
"Yes."
She just shrugged at its weird name. She grabbed her bag and was ready to leave. "I'm leaving. Thank you very much. I had someone talking while waiting for him."
"You're welcome." Daniella smiled at him and left. "Please don't be hurt in the end. You're the one who's hurt the most because you're so kind," he said until he couldn't see Daniella.
William and Charice had already gotten home, and when they were in front of William's house, he went down without saying goodbye, and Charice immediately followed. "William, wait a minute!"

He turned seriously toward Charice with a streak of irritation on his face. "What!"
"I'm... just wanted to say thank you," she replied weakly.
William sighed. "You can go home. Be careful on the road." And finally, William entered the house.
In Charice's mind, "Why did he react like that when he didn't find Daniella in the plaza? Did he think that I would stop what I'm doing? I will gain his trust again, so I came back here and just wanted it not to end like this." She glanced again at the door where William had entered, walked over, got in her car, and left.
Daniella was in her room, facing a large mirror, and talking to herself. "We need to act, Daniella," I said to myself in the mirror. I acted serious; my face and eyes seemed to have no interest in whoever was speaking. I tried to pretend to my face that I didn’t care about the people around me.
After a few minutes of doing that, I suddenly thought, "It's hard to learn to lie if it's not true. They can believe it or they can't. It's like real jewelry; even if you show the fake is real, what is true will come out, and what is not will be the same. " My forehead eventually furrowed, and I messed up my hair. "What are you saying, Daniella? You're going crazy!" I shouted.
My mother knocked on my bedroom door. "Daniella, are you okay? Are you with anyone there?" she asked.
"None Mom!" I shouted in response.
"Or you're talking to yourself again. I'm just going to call an ambulance to pick you up."

I immediately opened the door to my room. "What are you saying there, Mom? I'm not in pain."
"Daniella, maybe you have a problem that you just don't want to tell me about. Why are you talking to yourself? It won't answer."
I stared at my mother in surprised. "You're the one who's crazy about us both." My mother immediately hit my head with her hand.
"When your reflection in the mirror speaks, go ahead." She was still threatening.
"Mom!"
"Then, what are you doing like that?"
"I'm just practicing acting. We have an acting activity with one of our teachers."
She looked at me suspiciously. "Are you sure?" I nodded in response.
"Okay, after you're done, go to the kitchen; we're going to eat."
"Okay." After she left, I closed my bedroom door again and looked in the mirror. "Get ready for me, William," I said seriously in the mirror before finally leaving my room.