Telling someone you don’t like them back is kinder than slowly becoming unavailable.

Fading out looks gentler and is actually crueller. The person on the other end gets no information, only a slow change in temperature, so they keep trying and keep wondering what they did, and the confusion lasts far longer than a clear answer would have. You get to avoid one uncomfortable minute by handing them weeks of guessing. Said plainly, it is a cost you are passing along.

Say it once, kindly, without a list of reasons. Something short is enough, and you do not owe an explanation of what is missing. Then give them space to be embarrassed, and do not keep texting as though nothing happened.