TL;DR
Hey, so I'm a college student from the USA, and I've been going through something that has been difficult to process mainly because I met a guy this year around May. I met him through a language exchange app because I'm learning the language he speaks. And then after about 3 months or so, I met him in July because I did a 1 month study abroad program in his country. He's a great friend and we get along very well. I think he's very chill, kind, caring, intelligent, and funny.
We had fun when we hung out and all, but the only catch is..he lives far away. So, when I left, I knew it would be awhile until I can see him again.
During this time, I developed feelings. After every exchange we had after meeting in person, it felt like he really trusts me as a friend and he's very nice. We have some inside jokes and I bully him as a joke. He told me he loves it when I insult him. I told him he could make those jokes too, but he said he doesn't. So he prefers not to make mean jokes to me. I assume there's a reason for this. Maybe it's part of his personality or he cares not to offend me. He tends to get shy and in his culture, he's not a direct person. So if he does express gratitude, affection, or any type of deep emotion, it's usually indirect.
Anyway, I think he's attractive. But I'm constantly thinking about whether this friendship might be viable as a relationship. First, I don't know how he feels. But he's super consistent. He texts back, he hasn't ghosted me like many people of his culture have. And so I do feel appreciative and I admire his work (he's in nursing). I got him a birthday gift, sent it across the world, and he loved it. I even wrote a card mixed with a note in his language and in English.
I'm just wondering, is he clueless or can he tell that a woman is giving him this attention because she likes him?
And if he hasn't rejected my compliments or soft flirty jokes yet, is there a possibility that he's also open to dating in the future but he might just be cautious because of 1. The culture difference, and 2. The distance?
What should I do at this point? I dont want to risk the friendship, so I want to refrain from confessing. I still think its early and not the best time to do that. How can I tell if he feels the same way, just through his indirect hints? Because again he's not direct so I kind of have to figure it out myself.
I'd like to get some advice, thank you..