The story dictates that MC and Jose are joined at the hip in that scenario, canon, non-negociable. That it is one and only scenario that is presented. Period.
The canon MC scenario - he accepts and is happy to go down on girls he had sexy thoughts for, judging by how mezmerized MC is when being his usul peeping tom watching the two dames going at it.
Whenever the opportunity arises, MC should seize the moment and fulfill his fantasy - that is what adult games are for, no ???
MC likes to talk shop of the babes he is head over heels dumbfounded with - the logical path of MC who has no game and cannot woe anyone - he has to jump in the midle of action when it is presented to him.
We can see how he gets used by the bartender not as a date, but just a ticket for her to access the bone yard and go look up some wealthy nobodies for her to swindle into marriage.
Or his childhood flame and the young sister - they both banter with him, would literally drop their panties in a heartbeat if MC was any wiser than a hammer or a chisel but they both keep their distance because of MC dissing them and being all confrontational and defensive and MC clearly has no idea how to escalate his already established relationship with the childhood friend who is now seriously considering a relationship with him ... if he ever gets his brains about himself when he is in her presence, that is.
For someone with no game - MC pines for Gabi since he met her, yet he is a literal horn dog she cannot connect with, despite her efforts and the lack of any effort from MC himself.
Such is the life of MC: he cannot afford to see himself as this beef cake as some dames profess to him being if he keeps refusing action with everyone, just because ”players need to butcher the story”
Wondering whats the point of having points that can go plus or minus, insulting a woman intentionally then 1 minute later be thinking how sexy she is and how much mc wants to put his dick in her? I wasn't insulting her because I want to fuck her but she is forced on mc anyway? How about mc thinks how much of a slut she is and refuses her instead, or is that too logical for a PI? Can I expect more railroading and useless choices?
Ahh I see, in chapter 3 the choice suddenly has consequences, strange way to do things but an improvement at least. Maybe dev can go back to the start and change a couple lines of dialog based on Josephine -1 and not force the HJ then we can be fully coherent. Better than my first thoughts of how this was going to go. I love VN's that are story heavy but not VN's with forced sex with girls I might rather fight than fuck. Hopefully chapter 1 was the outlier and chapter 3 the way forward.
P.S. Just a suggestion (though there are chances you might have it in mind). The writer of the plot is really exceptional. Just like after this one case of The Curse of Pearl Necklace, you can add more cases like this. So that this game becomes never ending and we could enjoy it always. You can also add some episode regarding the background as a boxer that he was. What I mean to say, you can make it like James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, John Wick: series.
We already have tid bits of the war and MC wants to forget and never relive those. Does anyone believe MC would find memories from his glory days of athletic prowess before the war? At the same time as he struggles to burry all his war memmories? All of it just so he can sleep peacefully and not keep having the nightmare of his utter failure and him being decorated over failing to save civilians from ”friendly fire” ???