1. "You never shout at me while playing games with me which makes me feel comfortable."
2. "You quietly listen to me talk about things you'd be uninterested in..."
3. "You're good at keeping secrets, and you helped me despite not being that close with you and when you could've found it bothersome."
4. "You're quick at reading the room. You're thoughtful sometimes."
5. "And you're smarter than you look......"
6. "Also..."
7. "Hmm."
8. "So I'm nothing special."
9. "Well, I don't know a lot about you..."
10. "You're not in a position to tell others how they should think about me."
11. "As I said, it's because I don't know much about you."
12. "I wouldn't say bad things about you."
13. "Okay."
14. "But here's the thing."
15. "There's no need for you to tell me what others say about me."
16. "Nor should you care about it."
17. "Don't jump into the fray, so to speak. It's pointless to do so."
18. "Hey, we've gotten close lately, right?"
19. "Regardless of what others told you or will tell you,"
20. "For me, none of that is true."
21. "I'm just saying..."