LIs, side-girls, hidden LIs, I don't know... this is getting a bit out of control.
5 LIs is a reasonable number, one you'd see in any other VN; but in any other VN those would be the only characters to get fully developed. In BaDIK Quinn gets developed, and Tommy has his family dynamic revelead, and the Burkes' marriage is shown, and we dive into Cathy's sexual frustration, and we see Dawe'n'Arieth's screwed up relationship, and there are glimpses of Steve's - f*ck*ng Steve! - family drama...
Someone wondered a few billion pages ago if DPC was an architect or gardener kind of writer. I don't really have an answer, but if it's the former, I'm starting to see where this garden is going...
Online flirting/trolling/catfishing with Cathy would be awesome, Envy, Quinn, Jacob, Camila, Tybalt, Cafeteria Girl are all awesome in their own way, but at some point you gotta prune the bushes.