I have strong feelings for him

There’s a guy in an online lesson that I do. I started the lessons in September and we were paired together last month. Since the first day I joined
, I was really attracted to him, however, my attraction towards him has increased a lot because we are talking to each other almost every day now (about a project that we’re working on which is due next month). I’ve tried so hard for the past month to suppress my feelings for him and I just try to focus on the task but I’ve been finding it too hard to cope. I can’t stop thinking or feeling things for him to the point where I almost wish it would stop. I have such strong urges to tell him how I feel mid lessons but I don’t know when or if now is the right time. It’s sort of like if I don’t tell him how I feel then I’m in agony but if I do tell him and he says he doesn’t feel the same then I’m still in agony. Im not sure which is worse. What should I do? I can’t be paired with someone else because it’s too late to swap parteners Also for context I’m in year 13 and he’s a year group older than me

I’m also worried that If I tell him, it would ruin my chances of him saying that he likes me because it would be as If I’m putting him on the spot. I was wondering if I just sailed it out as friends then it could turn into something more? but there’s such a fine line between friends and flirting that I’m not entirely sure which vibe he’s giving off

If the role were reversed, the man would have no choice but tell his feelings towards the woman, if he wanted to know if she felt the same.

You can tell him how you feel. Bear in mind that you can get denied and if that is the case, accept that such is life, like a mature human who knows that things do not always go the way we want.

Or, just like most women would do, just do nothing. Keep meeting, chatting with him, throwing whatever you think would be a hint. It could work.

Yes I understand. I was thinking of throwing hints at him but I don’t know which hints are explicit enough for him to understand. For example I gave him a compliment about his character (he’s very thoughtful and considerate ) but he could have interpreted it as a friendly compliment. He said that he is “glad he got partnered with me because I’m a really nice and sweet person to talk to” but I interpreted this as him being friendly

Yes I understand. I was thinking of throwing hints at him but I don’t know which hints are explicit enough for him to understand. For example I gave him a compliment about his character (he’s very thoughtful and considerate ) but he could have interpreted it as a friendly compliment. He said that he is “glad he got partnered with me because I’m a really nice and sweet person to talk to” but I interpreted this as him being friendly

Once you tell him you will probably feel easier.
You can tell him when you work on your project, just two of you on a privet chat.

Throwing hints is not the solution most women think it is .
One woman hint, is another's being friendly. Not all men can get those hints accurately. Without forgetting the climate against men in which we are nowadays. More and more men do not want to get in troubles just because they could not tell the difference between a woman flirting or being friendly.
He will act friendly because that is what you guys are. Friends.
Unless you make your interest known somehow.

Well I did ask him if he’s ever had a gf before and he laughed then said yes then he asked if I’ve ever had one. A bit later after that he then asked me why I asked him that… and I said I was just curious

Try an ambiguous date request like meeting for a coffee at the weekend to discuss the project, that should give some clues. Pouring out exactly how you feel is a bad strategy if he doesn’t feel the same way. It’s very uncomfortable afterwards. In my experience friendship with unexpressed feeling is preferable to rejection

Well I did ask him if he’s ever had a gf before and he laughed then said yes then he asked if I’ve ever had one. A bit later after that he then asked me why I asked him that… and I said I was just curious

I think he understood why you asked.

Understood.. as in a good way or a bad way?

Depends on his reaction afterwards, but it seems like a good way. It seems he likes you too... At least likes spending some time with you.
Is he seems to be shy or is he "free" with you?

When I asked him, we were the phone and after I asked there was a moment of awkward silence then he said he had to go and he later send me a message complimenting me that I’m nice and sweet to talk to but I thought he was friendzoning me..

Friendzoning is not a bad sign. You can still spend time together and get to know each other. It actually means that he likes you in way.