Hi Sam,
You are welcome and I am glad that the advice helped you.
This stranger keeps conveniently appearing whenever you so happen to be around which would indicate that these appearances aren’t coincidental.
He seems to be trying to get you to notice him.
However, he may also be really shy.
This may be why he keeps checking his wallet or taking his phone out whenever he is about to walk past you.
The fact that he took the initiative to say “hey” the last time that you came across him as you were walking home may indicate that he is beginning to feel a little bit more comfortable with you.
It may be because you took the initiative to say “hey” to him the time before.
So yes, this is a good sign.
Keep showing positive body language whenever he is around.
Try making eye contact for a sustained period of time and smiling.
If he is a shy guy, he will need a lot of encouragement before becoming emboldened to approach you in the proper way.
Oftentimes, consistent eye contact coupled with smiling will give a shy guy the kind of encouragement he needs to make that approach.
Try doing this as often as you can.
Avoid having expectations, as these may cause you to overthink and consequently try to force a desired outcome.
Just be natural. Make sustained eye contact and smile.
If he truly likes you, he will most likely make some kind of move once he realizes that all of this eye contact and smiling is always directed at him.