Is he trying to be my friend or is he flirting? I'm afraid of falling for him again

"I'm afraid of falling for him again and start suffering all over again" I said when that happened.

Now, I hate staring my thread like romantic/dramatic books so I'll explain quickly what's up.

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Introduction

Since the first year of highschool ( in Italy we have 5 years)

I fell for a boy who became my classmates the next year.

If I told you how I crushed for this guy, you're call me crazy or even patheyic....or psychopath.

This crush melted as soon as, always during the second year of hs, I got to know by some that he was "dating" a girl.

September 2023, third year of highschool, they broke up because he found out she was cheating on him during summer holidays, I kept my head on my studied and I kind of isolate myself from him and my classmates to focus better on my homework (but mostly because I was mad because I got betrayed as well but by a "friend").

The school ended a few days ago, in June 6th.

What happened between me and him this year kinda shocked me, mostly from April until now.

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This year, this guy which I had a VERY BIG CRUSH ON HIM, started actually noticing me...

Or better, in the second year I felt like my presence bothered him : he almost never talked to me or looked at me ect.

He never greeted me.

This year, anytime I'd enter the classroom, he'd greet me, and so I did, but each day it was becoming more talkative, if you know what I mean.

For example, one day I went to my class (which was still empty) so I could study Arts because we had a test that day. A few minutes later there he is who greets me (and so I did) and starts questioning me, maybe for curiosity, if the teacher would've tested me orally and if I was ready. I told him that I was studying because of the test (which was not oral) and then we kinda talked for a while....

Then, moving on, things got interesting... During P.E. he would always compliment my skill. If we played volleyball and I randomly "saved" the balk from touching the ground, he would go like "NICE OONE, NICOLE" (yes, my name's Nicole), or If I randomly started running pass him, he would say "ZIUUM" as a supercar passed by if you know what I mean...

What even shocked me the most, this was a recent one, is that he CHOSE ME OVER HIS FRIEND WHEN HE HAD TO CREATE A SQUAD FOR, I think handball if I'm not wrong?

He said when chosing "Hmm, I'm looking at (his friend's name) but I'm choosing Nicole instead".

Another event that happened, which is the one that got me doubting, was the kiss he sent me.

My teacher had to test me orally that day, and he randomly called me by my name and asked me if she was going to test me that day (considering that he knew she was gonna call me that day..) so I replied yes, and he blew me a kiss in front of everyone. I couldn't stop blushing of course.

Then , GOD HE GOT CRAZIER.

HESTARTED GREETING ME AS A FRIEND LIKE "SUP NICOLE: EVERYTIME I PASSED BY HIM, THEN AGAIN HE STOPPED THE TEACHER'S LESSON (ALTHOUGH IT WAS OVER ALREADY" AND CHEERED ME WHILE CLAPPING HIS HANDS AND SAID "WELL JOB NICOLE!! WELL DONE" WHILE SMILING...(CONSIDER THAT I HAD DONE NOTHING AT ALL

AND EVERYBODY STARTED STARING AT ME AND SMILING)

Oh and much more stuff happened, but this thread would be endless If I made a list of the things he "ironically" said to me, so I'm gonna add just one more detail and then there will be a question for you all reading this.

The last day of school our english teacher asked us to write down anonymously on a piece of paper which classmate made you happy, has supported you or made you feel surprised somehow.

I wrote down that there was a person in the classroom who made me feel soo happy this year and surprised me quite a lot (since the previous year I was like I didn't exist for him) yet in the paper I didn't want to say who this person was, and I literally wrote this thing down.

When the teacher read all the message, this guy (my "ex"crush) said "aww" as if he knew I wrote it and I was talking about him.

Now, I don't know what to think actually.

It makes me soo excited thinking that my crush is trying to be my friend or even flirting.

On the other hand, this is creeping me out. Not him, but myself.

If he wants to be my friend, there will be no way that I won't fall for him again like I did before, and I don't want to end up suffering.

But, good thing is that if he becomes my friend then I might confess all to him later.

But according to you is he trying to be my friend or is he flirting?

Any tips for calming me down cause this school year ended up pretty well and I don't want to mess up everything again.

I'd like to be his friend if he wants to, but I fear myself.

Thanks again for your attention ♡