If you like someone, you are willing to make an effort whether it's financially, mentally or physically, but if it's only for short-term pleasure, you won't invest much. To make girls happy, just a few sweet words are enough. The dating veteran knows this rule very well. They enjoy girls' nostalgia for them, but they will not really work hard on them. People who are into date, you can only gather around to have fun when you both are in good mood. However, when one of the party feels down or in need of company, they won't be the one to offer comfort.
If you really like her, you will not be afraid to admit it. But if it's only for flirt or adult dating, you might keep distance with her when in public places. Some people love the so-called underground romance. They enjoy the excitement of flirting and love the idea of secret arrangement. So you might find some people chatting with you online very vigorously, while in real life, especially when you are around with people you might know, they would stay rather far away from you. Because they don't want to be mistaken as your boyfriend-to-be.
People who are into casual hookup would treat you as they feel like to, but people who really like you has a much stabler mindset. Casual hookup always arises on a whim, while real appreciation is like a long-lasting stream. For some people, you always feel that sometimes they care about you, while sometimes not so much, or even indifferent. Your heart is always entangled, and there is no sense of security.
In fact, he doesn't like you that much. Maybe he's just boring and you are a nice way to kill time. You need to know that people who really like you always want to be by your side at all times, instead of disappearing for no reason and returning inexplicably.
If he wants to hookup, he's usually pretty straight-forward. If he wants a relationship, the intention is well-hidden. People who are accustomed to hookup relationships don't want to go further, but always want to complete what they want from you as soon as possible. If you don't obey, they will gradually change their target to another person. They are only after hookup or one night stand. You can't give it to them, so they need to move to another objective.
If he really likes you, he will take initiative to contact you, make plans, etc. If he's only into hookups, you might be the one who take initiative. Whether a person likes you or not, the most obvious thing is to see if he takes the initiative to contact you or not. Because when you like someone, you would think about that person all the time, right? If he doesn't contact you, it means he just not that into you.