Are We More Than Friend, More Than Best Friend, More Than Buddy?

hi, im just a normal 18s, schooling girl. for the past few week i keep hangin out wif a grp of peers whom all are guys expect me. but this group of friends are peers whom knw each others long for years. its jus out of a sudden we get united & close back in a much more smaller group. being the only girl ard, usually they will care for me more. & i do know its a vry normal thing for a friend to send a girl home at late nights. but its seem like i started havin crush on this particular, mr yeo. i know him for 5 to 6 yrs back. but we got to know each other more jus recently. he's action makes me feel odd too. at 1st i notcie he likes to pad my head. when im walking alone, he will always be the 1st to walk by my side to accompany me. maybe this is just a friendly way of lookin aft a gal? but weeks aft weeks, we get closer. more & more physical contact. hold my hand when cross traffic light. when at shopping mall, he will stand behide me if i wear skirt, in order not to let me be expose. when in a big group, he wont dare to be close with me; wont be dare to pad my head nor hold my hands to cross road. its only when in a small cusual group then he dare. its a very natural things whenever came into place for sitting, he will be the one who sit next to me or opp me but others will feel suprise & keep questioning. when im alone travelling to meet them, once i start messaging him, he will continue to message me until i reach my destination. whenever the whole group of us went out, he will definatly be the one whom send me home(he lives near me) but its not a matter of late nights. even we went out stil morning. early in the morning, he still will send me home. infact he can just turn ahead & choose another path inorder for him to reach home. when whole of us when club, guys passby me, intend to dance with me, instead of pullin my hand & let me into the group, mr yeo hold my back & grab my back & i fall into his hug. he will always be the one who hold my hand & helpin me makin ways out of crowded places. whenever i feel like buying drinks or eating something, he will be the one who accompany me to go instead of others who does seem to bother at all. i can feel that he's tryin to protect me in his own secret way but something what he does really makes me feel puzzel. my best friend did obvious when we are in a big whole group. she told me she can sense that he treats me more nicer too. but this mr yeo is like weather. raining day treat me pretty cold. didnt touch my hand when cross road, didnt really creates jokes with me. but when comes to sunny days, he will always make me feel happy & sweet enough. was it me who are the only that's havin feeling towars him only or? its seems to come to a conculsion of; whenever there's a outing, i will be beside me, i will be ard his side. neverthelessly, i feel a sense of comfort to hav this protection around my side. i start to hope seeming him more & more. Hope to make jokes & conversation with him daily. i start to hang out with this group of guy because of him. now im already used to be the only girl with 3 guys. even just normal friends whom hang oput just once in our big group, ask me peronally on whether there's something going on on the both of us. but... i hav no conclusion in whether he likes me or not as he seems to be a mr nice guy. there's no way he will treats girl bad. & maybe this is a way, guy tend do when comes to protect their female friend. neither do i dare to confess to him as i scare this will ruin our friendship. friends all told me that the situtaion seems to be more & more obvious about the way we two reacted. but to me, its a way that all reaction been spotted in a very natural way. i get more & more upset & fear. fear of losing this special someone but fear to expose that i start liking him too. are we more than friend, more than best friend, more than buddy or?