Fair enough!
Of course, I wouldn't argue that a handhold is more romantic than a kiss, because that's just silly, but I didn't question it when people said the Aerith date had romantic elements because of my own experience.
I kid you not, older people in my country consider handholding PDA

Granted, it has been lessening nowadays, but I certainly grew up around the notion that if you see two people around the same age holding hands, they're either a couple or are siblings. Definitely a couple if their fingers are intertwined.