I agree with every line.This is gonna be long, apologizes in advance! I also repeat myself a lot and ask tons of questions. Be warned!
Let’s just get this out of the way…
Tifa straight up lied about having a conversation with Aerith about Zack. Watch Tifa’s date, then watch Aerith’s right after. The flashback is the same for both. Tifa says that Cloud knew Zack and Aerith gasps Tifa continues that they were friends five years ago, Aerith only says “What?” In response to the last sentence for both.
Right before Aerith responds to Cloud’s inquiry, Aerith unprompted talks about how she saw a lot of Zack in Cloud. She then says it’s okay that he is not Zack because she wants to be with him and she’s also trying hard to find him. When Cloud finally stumbles out the Zack question, Aerith’s response leads the player/watcher to conclude that not only is she over Zack (if she wasn’t already by what she JUST said) by saying the conversation she had with Tifa about him “Wasn’t important” but also reveals the fact that it actually happened.
On Tifa’s date after the flashback, Tifa just says “Not yet” in response to something we KNOW happened because why is it the same flashback? Why didn’t the development team/writers have a separate cutscene where Aerith says something else? But her saying a sad “Not yet” allows Cloud to assume that it’s a “touchy” subject and Aerith must not be over Zack. He says as much afterwards. He defaults to this because Cloud at his core is a very insecure man. Tifa says “It’s a bit more complicated than that” (complicated for who Tifa? You or Cloud?) and before Cloud can question it, Tifa changes the subject and starts talking about how she can’t remember them ever being that close… that’s… weird. Especially because this is likely the HA version of the date scene. They’ve had tons of moments we can presume: the play, the imposter thing and especially the “almost k***” people talk about.
Why did Tifa lie about having this conversation? If you believe it’s because Tifa doesn’t want to presume Aerith’s feelings or share something private… I’ll give you that but I just have one question: why didn’t she… just say that? Why did she just act as if she never had the conversation with Aerith in the first place after the flashback plays which tells the player/watched she did.
Let me also add that Cloud is clearly jealous that Aerith might have feelings for another guy (Zack). This was referenced in the Ultimania Plus when Toriyama stays that Cloud having “complex feelings” about Aerith going a date with another guy (at Evergreen Park) will enhance the depth of the scene. He asks Tifa to confirm if whether it’s true Aerith still loves Zack. Why? Because he trusts her. By the time of this date, they had already (we can assume) reconciled the whole issue where he believes she’s not real. So he trusts her to tell him the truth. We don’t know what promoted Cloud to be jealous of Zack on both their dates because that hasn’t leaked yet/game hasn’t come out yet so we’ll have to find out. Still CLOUD is bringing up the possible romantic feelings Aerith has for another man in front of Tifa while they are on a very romantic date leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Also instead of Tifa of saying “it’s not my place”, “ask her yourself” she denies the conversation happens ENTIRELY meanwhile on Aerith’s date she doesn’t deny it and proves she has feelings for Cloud even before he asked.
We don’t know the full context, but Marlene also says that Aerith “really really likes Cloud” and Aerith was “really happy” he came to save her to Zack… her ex. Unfortunately I do not know when that takes place.
You can try and bring up the Sleeping Forest date where apparently they friendzone each other but the English version of the scene that leaked proves that whatever is in the presumably original Japanese script that’s going around is untrue or at least extremely biased by purposefully misinterpreting the nuance in the Japanese language. You can also bring up the affinity system, which is only for the GS and does not affect the main story as stated by the development team.
Lastly, Cloud would have no need to ask Tifa about Aerith’s romantic feelings for another man that has presumably been dead for five years unless he was jealous. Why does he care anyway? Seems strange on a pro Tifa playthrough.
Also to add, Tifa’s doubtfulness is very confusing. Cloud being pretty unreceptive when she is making small talk after he concludes that Aerith still loves her ex leaves a LOT to be desired if you are a fan of the ship. She says before the ending of the scene that she “misread” things between them despite having a high affection with her so it’s pretty clear that the player has favored her to get this date. Her doubtfulness leaves well… doubt that she is the actual date option.
Just because this date ended in a kiss doesn’t mean what lead up to it is earned. Cloud only kissed Tifa because Aerith was no longer a romantic option anymore and it took Tifa lying about a conversation that clearly happened for him to come to that conclusion.
To note: Cloud is slightly mean to Aerith on what we see in the beginning of their date but if you are watching under the assumption he is jealous of Zack for whatever happens before this date his grumpiness makes total sense. He believes Aerith likes another guy even after all the time they’ve spent together.
This matches Nomura's view that Tifa is a woman hurt by rejection.
