@markvs
How do I convey I don’t want to meet in the nicest way possible
how do I let him down gently?
Why are you concerned with being nice to this guy? Ask yourself that. Really think deeply about it. You don't have to tell me the answer, but you owe it to yourself to figure it out. Why are you choosing to make yourself uncomfortable to baby some stranger's feelings?
Do you think you owe him something? Ask yourself that. He gave you his number, not the other way around, so why not just toss the number and ignore it? Why did you feel compelled to text him? And most importantly, what is the worst (but also most realistic) thing that could happen if you just simply blocked his number?
Please note I'm not intending to berate you for doing these things. I've been there too, there's no shame. It's how we're socialized and raised, and it's really difficult to act otherwise. I just want to challenge you to break out of it and take ownership and agency over who you interact with, because it's
your choice. When you ask yourself the questions I've put in this comment you'll hopefully see that you don't owe this guy or any other guy who approaches you anything. You deserve to choose who you interact with, and you don't have to let this guy bulldoze you into interacting with him.