I keep thinking of how Cloud’s real self says he cherishes everything and I think it may have been Nomura ( fact check me on this one pls ) that mentioned that the emotion they’re aiming for with Aerith is how you wish you had treated someone better after they’re taken from you... I really don't understand where this concept of cloud having a "crush" on aerith is coming from. Ig if that's the case, he got a crush on jessie too. Like have you seen how his gaze lingers on her photograph? She's dead I know but she had that much impression on her despite them not hanging out much.. or it could just be that, that's how he cherishes all his friends including aerith. I never saw him develop a crush. What we do see is him showing the exact opposite of it even before the resolution scene and the part where he remembers Zack.
Some forget he doesn't recall her face back at the church. And we have the worst dress reaction and a simple polite reaction for the mid dress (the one she actually liked).
If anything, best dress tells you (much clearly in JP) that as long as she's not her usual self, in her usual style, what she likes, then that will create a positive impression. She even says it doesn't seem like her, and he asks if she's even "aerith". I don't know if that's really "positive". That indicates that her usual style, what makes her "her" doesn't have a positive impression. But even so, all dresses from worst to best all ends in one reaction. Indifference. And he asks about what their next plan is. This was never brought back in the game. And quite fascinatingly, they decided to give as a camera view where we see his direct eye contact (unlike best dress, makes you think where exactly was he looking at? Aerith, the people? Fireworks?) which turns out to be Tifa's bust. Also, best dress had all those fireworks, but he couldn't even look at aerith in her gsd like he did with Tifa.
I'm not trying to be mean to aerith. But I really don't think he had a crush on her. Tifa is canonically called beautiful in FF7 world (not just by Cloud), but Zack doesn't compliment her lol. It seems that both Zack and Cloud have Very Different personal preference/type in terms of looks and personality. Cloud Definitely Never saw her "sexually" lol, if so, Yuffie would have caught on that immediately. She hasn't even known Cloud that long enough but she's picking up on the Tifa bit. And she even speaks about Tifa in her gsd. Nobody notices his pov about aerith. Except marlene saying aerith likes him. Which speaks nothing about cloud (and we've seen him Friendzone her so theres that).
Resolution also had a line of "even if" Not "even though". Meaning she's not even sure but she'll warn anyway. If resolution is what happens after dream date. It's actually weird that she still said that after getting Friendzoned tho. He couldn't even gift her a gift that shows affection (the brooch, reunion flower given to girlfriend). Which leads me to believe.. she has trouble reading and understanding him. So I'd take her assesments somewhat like an unreliable narrator.
She even asserts he took a sneak photo in that photograph side quest. But if you let her catch you, she actually poses and theres no animation where cloud hides himself. So him saying "nothing sneaky about that is fr". She might just been teasing but some people took that as romantic which is weird. .. that's what we do in school field trips with my friends.
Anyway, I don't get where this is coming from. I didn't list it all, but he surely has shown wanting to have boundaries and apparent Disinterest. He even calls himself not romantic (even though he is). And him telling her to stop calling it a date. Other stuff like not being comfortable with the couple gondola ride idea etc. This was before the whole Zack thing too, so I hope nobody says it's about bro code (I don't think that ever even entered his mind). If anything, remembering Zack made him kinder to aerith if you ask me. Also, that they're both saddened by the news of Zack.
Anyway, if this was in the story, it should have been written the same way they wrote aerith's dilemma. They Clearly Didn't. I don't think one line from a another person who has difficulty understanding what she even feels is credible to speak about what others feel. She didn't even let him speak in her resolution. It's much more in your face in chinese "you're talking to yourself" which she is. Her message is about her Only whether she's aware of that or not.
Unless of course we take that he could have had a crush on jessie or even madam m since he did have a "sus" reaction from those two if you'd argue enough about it.
Sorry for the long text. But hobbit's take saying you have all these choices but it all ends the same do remind me of the three dresses. Or perhaps even the nptk reaction. No matter how you interpret those, it all ends with him thinking of her Only as a Friend and Never more nor "yet"(btw, he also has the same open mouth reaction to Nanaki's dancing, what I mean is, it's him simply appreciating his Friends performances that's all as he does cherish all.. Cloud is a nice guy you know).
While I don’t think Cloud had a crush on either Jessie or Aerith, I think his feelings posthumously are similar “I wish I had cherished them more while they were here”. Which is a very human thing.
Jessie is a great little callout because he doesn’t soften towards the three Avalanche members until the segment about Jessie’s dad. Seeing that she had something very personal invested in all this struck a soft spot with him.