You're not alone in having difficulty with the beginning and the MC's behavior. One thing I would say is that I'm approaching this as a writer and don't have misogynistic tendencies, but I'll explain some more below. All of this has been covered before.
VN Games are wide and varied. However the one consistent game type I was seeing at the time of writing, in close group / incest settings, was the following:
Perv on the girls you're supposed to care for, until they realize that they like the attention and willingly open their legs. Treating all of the voyeurism, sleep assault and bodily fluids found in weird places as foreplay.
No judgement. I played and enjoyed many of these games.
But this game, I wanted to start right in the middle of such an approach.
So there's been no build-up. No backstory to let you know how he feels. You're quickly dropped into playing an entitled young guy perving on girls.
But the girls aren't at all impressed with this behavior and it takes the threat of losing his loved ones (and death) to wake him up.
This is another area where I've received some criticism (and I love hearing others point of view on storylines and characters). Spoiler-time as it discusses the general plot.
The MC is never, ever in control of the initial situation. The girls have decided how they're going to deal with him. Yes. You can shape the relationships. Yes, you can continue to be a dick. But the other characters will respond in kind.
The aim of this game is not to get the girls. They got you. The aim is to keep them. And what that might look like.
As for the MC's thinking, there are a few of things at play here.
I wanted to show a young guy, in life-threatening times, dealing with his urges. He does really badly at first but, depending on your decisions, he'll develop. Or not.
There's also a fine line between playing your MC and hearing other's dialogue / attitude that you would never say / think in a million years. I've been stung with games where it was enjoyable until the MC flipped into a rapey, misogynistic asshat on crack. It's a tough one and I've tried to present a character that offers ways to change, whichever direction you choose.
Finally, the production time.
We're a long way down the road and it's Chapter five. When I plotted all of this out, I thought the 'hump' of bedding into the MC would only take a few chapters at most. But I've had to split the chapters down and obviously the release have been... sporadic.
Anyway. Not sure you'll return, or agree with me if you do continue, but it's good to cover this stuff for the newer players. So thanks for offering that opportunity.
Now I'm practically new to the VN world. Sadly. I'm more of an AGS fan myself. I got into this genre after a friend introduced me to another game, which he surmised as having a story very similar to that of my own personal history with a previous (long-lost?) significant other.
I'm not as familiar with the flavors of relationship premises that this particular novel is supposed to depict, so I can't relate as to the parallelisms among novels of similar premises. I'm getting an idea, however, that not all novels with such relationship premises are situated in a zombified, post-apocalyptic environment.
But as to basic development of members in such closed groups, particularly in the aftermath of a disaster, wouldn't be the practical result be a natural gravitation toward each other? Especially in an environment where one mistake of a single member can instantly endanger the rest? Just my two cents.
I can't speak for sexual attraction, however, but as bonds go, having shared a life-or-death experience with even a stranger tends to either break you or re-wire you in so many ways. I know it creates a strong bond with another, even if that other person was a complete stranger before. Being a survivor of Typhoon Ketsana at ground zero of the disaster, I can attest to this phenomena.
Now as to how you wish to develop that further is your prerogative. Nevertheless, you're free to make it as you see fit. I'm just saying that the whole plot machine should not revolve around a predator and his alleged rehabilitation.
Does the voyeurism and pervertedness bother me? Hmmm, should it? Or not really, seeing as the theme of this novel in fact leans toward adult themes?
But I'm sure it doesn't bother me as much as the immense d-baggery that the MC just oozes. In his thoughts in contrast to his actions. I mean, I make the choice to get him to apologize (through such wording that he makes it seem he's sincere).
But when he receives the most practical rebuttal for rationalizing his faults, his mind immediately vomits out,
"It's not just me taking advantage of others, Sam, but also Megan who took advantage of you (which is entirely different by the way, -- like selfish vs. self-less -- because Luke took advantage as a result to relieve his urges as opposed Megan taking advantage of another because she suspected that person had urges she could help relieve) Oh and by the way, last night we did the dirty. So eat dirt."
Learning of his past indiscretions may have tickled my decision to just stop completely, but it was at this point that the game hammered the final nail on its own coffin. I never got past this point, and for emotional reasons that's completely fine.
I do agree there's a fine line. But as these particular novels go, especially yours, you allow the reader to step into the shoes of the MC, as opposed to novels who tell the story of the MC revolving around the MC. As I've said before, the writing seemed to force me into a frame of mind not so unlike the creeps who have hurt a dearly beloved in my life quite some time ago. I know this because they offered all sorts of rationalizations to justify their actions and the effect it has had. In fact, the MC reminds me of one of them in particular. And I absolutely hated that. And I hated him.
I believe the damage from this game would have even been more severe had I placed my own name -- turning me into the monsters that I had despised and battled long ago. A lesson well-learned.
So I hope you'll understand if I never come back. Or choose to avoid anything you do make. This isn't a judgement of you as a person; I just want to avoid revisiting painful and detestable memories. Not that it should ever affect the direction you should freely choose to pursue your current novels (such as this) and future ones.
If it is true that most novels have jerks for MCs, then I'll just have to find the ones that do not. I guess. Albeit, difficult that may be. Such is my predicament.
But I apologize for taking up your time. I thank you for making the time to respond.