To be honest this game has some of the best writing out there, the back and forth feels natural and the overall conversations feel real and so funny i have to skip liquids when playing but i also have to agree with some of the posts about katie. All the meetings and interactions with the people around the MC felt to an extent believable but then we need to spend all this time on a friend of a friend, it kind of broke the fun for me personally. While in the beginning i looked forward to the next scenes lines as much as the renders after the second gym scene i just skipped all dialog and scene the had katie in them.
I guess it's that she feels hollow, all the other characters seem to have a reason to be there but she is as i phrased it before just a friend of a friend and if she disappeared from the story or was left out from the beginning it feels as if nothing would really change except not having to play her scenes.
It's not even her renders but more her actual character in the story that feel off.
This is just my personal opinion, I hope you don't take this a bashing but as constructive criticism.
You posted that she will be staying and in alot more scenes, I have to say that your writing is so good I won't be able to stay away i'll just need a new spacebar from skipping her scenes

keep up the great writing A+