What does it mean for a man not to reply to a girl's confession?

In the face of a girl's confession, the man doesn't reply. It should be that he doesn't have a crush on this girl. The man just regards the girl as his little sister, and he is afraid that refusing directly will break her heart. If a man replies that he also likes girls, it goes against his own will. He doesn't want to cheat the girl. This girl also has a certain position in his heart, but it belongs to friendship rather than love.