Hello. I’ve already made a post some time ago, around summertime, regarding a boy I was seeing. We met for the first time at Pride in my uni city and, for the most part, it was great (even if I was met with a lot of haughtiness and attitude from his roommate, who was there with him at the time). Since then, we’ve met around mid-September on campus in the same city (for context, he lives there while I get by transport, it’s a 30 minute drive from where I live). We met the day I had my first lessons of the semester, after I let him know I was there, and he suggested having lunch together. Wasn’t too bad if not for the fact that he was way shyer this time and sticked to pretty much very generic small talk; I tried to get him to say more or get out of his comfort zone, but nothing.

Throughout the week, I would sometimes suggest meeting at the library for a coffee break if he happened to be there, but as soon as I would greet him he would just continue studying as if I wasn’t there, even if he formerly agreed on seeing each other prior to the meeting. We had a third “meeting” (I wouldn’t use date, really) in my own city because he wanted to visit it and felt safe having me there with him. I paid for everything, tickets included, because he needed help I wanted him to enjoy the experience and not have to worry about money. The whole time, he was dry, unapproachable, timid and distant. There were many awkward silences but, eventually, he opened up a little by the end and we had a few laughs about common areas of interest. Still, nothing other than very generic stuff. At the end, I walked him to the station and he thanked me. By the time I got back home, he told me I handled him with grace and that he was grateful for it. I was more so disappointed. Since then, we haven’t met anymore, I had to initiate texting many times and he would reply hours later (I’m also a bad texter and do not reply very fast, but if I were to be interested in someone I’d make sure to be present) and his only way of communication is sending me a meme every two business days. His replies are also just as dry and usually monosyllabic. At the beginning of summer he used to pursue me way more and he would be way more passionate in his way of approaching me, but things have taken a different turn now and I want to move on, but I do not want to be perceived as the bad guy for dumping him. I know that dragging things this way will only result in me getting disappointed and attached at the same time, but I need out. Should I let him go and how?