The main issue with the Interlude, is the fact that it was unnecessary. Even though I certainly did not mind it and thought it was relatively fun, the time would have been much better invested in the main story, completely cutting Zoey out of the game. This would not have had any negative impact, and saved plenty of development efforts. Not excluding elements that only play a small role in the game, is one of DrPinkCake's problems as a developer. There are a lot of examples of this; DnG, mini-games, massive free roam events and now the Interlude. These factors only act as a bonus, but are virtually meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Considering that the game will not be finished until 2026 given the current development cycle, it would be advisable to reduce the scope a bit.
When it comes to how forced the MC's internal conflict will be upon Zoey's return, I can say this: DrPinkCake has made it explicitly clear that the MC is not a blank slate - he is his own person, not matter how much the player wants to self-insert. Clearly, Zoey leaving did affect him a lot; he was in love with her and was forced to move on, and it is therefore unrealistic to expect her return to not have an impact on him. This being said, the game starts out with the MC having a crush on Josy, and we have spent eight episodes forming new bonds and banging anything that moves, leading us to believe he has managed to move on. I therefore parrot other people's worries about how this will force conflict upon us, that will negatively affect other relationships, and I welcome all choices that allow us to immediately shut down the prospect of getting back with Zoey. Even if there is forced conflict, one would have to assume that it will be better than the atrocity of the Maya/Josy drama, which is probably the worst part of Being a DIK.