Write an article based on this "Tell him clearly how you feel. Be kind. Maintain your favorite activities. Change the subject if people try to get you to talk about it. Let him know it's OK if he needs space."
In order to preserve a friendship with a guy whose affection you don't return, both of you should know clearly why you are saying no. When you explain to him why your feelings are different, it may be easier for him to accept. If you don't know exactly why you are saying no, you won't be able to tell him, and he might get his feelings hurt even more. Spend some time figuring out why if you don't immediately know why, and then come back and tell him (if you needed some time after he asked you out). Honesty is an important trait for friends to have. If you want to maintain your friendship with this guy, then being honest about how you really feel is important. While you are telling him no, make sure that you are kind and gentle. Don't laugh or be sarcastic--he is being serious, and you should respect him by also being serious. You want to keep your friendship intact, and laughing at him may push him away. Don't bring up that he asked you out in a group setting. This is not only embarrassing and awkward, but he might interpret this as making fun of him. Let him decide whether or not to talk about it in front of others. Try to have some empathy for what he must be feeling. This is an important quality for friends to have. If you were in his position and liked someone who did not like you back, how might you feel? Keep in mind that it can be easy to accidentally lead him on again if you are too kind. Be kind but firm, maintaining your decision not to date him. The best way to go back to being friends is to resume your activities from before he asked you out, as though nothing has changed. You both might be able to forget it ever happened this way. For example, if you used to study together on the weekend, then continue to do that. Or, if you and some friends used to go out for coffee together once a week, keep up that commitment. Try to treat him the same way you did before. You will likely experience some awkward moments after turning down your guy friend, especially if other friends know about it and bring it up in a group setting. Instead of acting embarrassed or trying to walk away, just change the subject. Loyalty is important among friends, so it is important for you to avoid gossiping about your friend or making fun of him behind his back. Try saying something like, "I don't feel like talking about that. How was your weekend?" After a while, people will lose interest in the subject. If a guy friend is wanting to date you but you don't feel the same way, he may need some time to get over you. Let him know that this is OK with you because your friendship is more important than getting to talk to him every day. Don't get upset if he decides not to talk to you for a while. Be aware that even though he doesn't tell you that he needs time away from you, this doesn't necessarily mean that he is angry with you. He just needs time to figure things out. If he continues to ignore you after a long period of time, you may want to ask if he'll sit down with you and talk about it. This will help both of you gain closure if he has decided not to be friends anymore, or may help you get your friendship back.