[Aerith hadn't noticed not because she is or isn't a good friend, but because Tifa has been working meticulously to keep things under wraps for as long as there ever was anything. More so now that she was staying with Aerith, but even before that, she never spoke of Eustace or Cloud, or what had been going on there. It was never something that mattered much until recently, nor did it ever come up, and even now... It's still hard for Tifa to put a name to any of the hundreds of things she's been feeling about it all, and she'd rather not get into the details until she was sure...

But if there's something in it that could help to inspire Aerith to do the right thing with Balthier, even if it was just talking to him, then perhaps she could make a small exception to not be so secretive about her feelings.]

I just meant that... you'll feel better without all that weighing down on you. I know it's hard, but... he'll feel better, too. And if you need some space, at least then he'll understand why.

[And Tifa realizes then, as her voice falls away, that this was never really about her blossoming relationship with Eustace... She hadn't been talking about him. He was never part of the problem, but the one who helped piece her back together when it had left her heart tattered and bruised. And that, in all of this, she is sitting in the same seat that Balthier has been in. Maybe that's why she feels so passionately about this...

Her expression drops, and all that's left is sadness that she tries to hide behind a laugh.]

... Give him some peace of mind, you know? [ ... ] Just... please, talk to him.