He doesn't try to chase Ib's eyes, knowing well how he can come across as overbearing without very much effort and the last thing he wanted to do was crush the confidence of the small girl he'd managed to inspire somehow. So he pulled his gaze away from her every once in a while to random points passed his plaster cast leg before flitting it back to Ib again.

When the proverbial dam bursts and her words rush forwards, only then does Sephiroth make more of an effort in trying to gain that eye contact - leaning forwards a little where he's sat up so that he might look around the collar-length bang at the side of his face that was getting in the way.

"I'm sure that's not the case." He's not so good at sounding reassuring, especially considering how less-upbeat he himself felt currently but at the same time he does understand. There are a lot of guilt feelings associated particularly with the last day or so of the Battle of Esdham, the overarching fact that Sephiroth's recollection was somewhat hazy or narrow being one of the triggers for the same.