Why would a guy play smart even if he has clearly understood what a girl feels for him?

Perhaps he doesn’t know WHAT to do. He might be terrified. What exactly does “play smart” mean?

Play smart means not coming to the point. Keeping mysteries.

“Playing smart” Gigantic oxymoron.

If he’s doing it on purpose I’d reconsider why you like him. Is it the chase?

@Khajuria9 Well, if he’s insecure about it, you certainly don’t seem so. Why not confront him and ask? You might be surprised and discover that you’ve misjudged him. If not, you can move on and stop wasting time wondering about him

Do you mean clearly, as in you have told him how you feel. There are some guys that are completely dense. Even if a girl says she likes him, he may take it to mean she likes him like a friend. Some guys just don’t want to assume and feel if they ask that it may put an end to the friendship if he is wrong. Especially shy guys. And yes, shy guys can flirt sometimes. I had a cousin who was always flirting with girls and never catch the obvious clues that she felt the same. Sometimes it is just best to put it all on the table and find out where you stand.

Most cultures brainwash people into believing that nothing should come easy, including forming relationships with other people, whether on the friendship or relationship level. Since we live in a culture where facades are considered cooler than directness, yes many times means no, and vice versa.

It has been my experience that both sexes do this, so I would recommend avoiding guys who are addicted to the chase, since they tend to be more egocentric than their more down-to-earth adversaries. You did your end, so if the guy can’t return the favor than he’s either an immature egocentric screwball, or he’s simply not into you. He could also be very love shy. More times than not the reasons are usually the latter two reasons though from my experience. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) not all guys or girls are the same, though many try to proclaim they are.