Does this mean he is genuine?

I have known this guy for about a month, and since the moment he met me he has been flirting with me. At first he was more direct, but once he saw how shy I got, he started being more subtle.

Since he instantly and confidently started flirting with me without any sign of nervousness, I assumed he was just a flirt or a player. However, I have noticed that over the month he has gradually started showing more signs of nervousness and his compliments seem more sincere, especially since he is complimenting me on things like my smile and my presence all while sporting a faint blush and smile.

The other day, he told me “I think you’re cute”, but since he said it pretty fast and sort of mumbled it, I didn’t understand him, so I replied “Hmmm?”. Instead of repeating what he said he just blushed, smiled/silently laughed, slightly shook his head and said “nothing. Nevermind.”, then walked away. Also, I really didn’t understand what he said, but after rethinking about the interaction a few times, what he said finally clicked.

Wow! I wrote a lot! 😂
Basically, I just want to know if he is being genuine or if he has just figured out what to say and how to act in order to play me. Maybe I’m being paranoid or overthinking things, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Thank your input and for reading this! 