With Ch 4.5, I did try an "Asshole MC" playthrough, just for shits & giggles. That involved simply rejecting and being rude to everyone. Obviously, the game was rather uneventful, i.e. NPCs reacted to the MC's behaviour appropriately
I did notice at the time that acting like a dick too often toward any LI seemed to pretty much kill options with them later in the playthrough. Some options, scenes, and dialogues that appear on a normal playthrough, seemed to disappear on an "Asshole MC" playthrough.
One of the things I like about this game. An MC, being either a Massive DIK or a Massive CHICK in the SG world, will not have the same success as the one who acts according to the situation, is considerate of other characters, and does not hesitate to use common sense.
Let's take the Zara storyline.
First he teases and annoys her, and then publicly humiliates her. However, he attracts her interest. Now he is not just one of these pathetic weaklings, like Trey, but an arrogant and cocky boor who needs to be put in his place. Then he allows her to take revenge and feel like a winner for a while.
Further, when they meet at Nick's house, through manipulation, teasing and small concessions, he achieves that they become almost friends. And having achieved this, he then constantly maintains a balance, on the one hand, not allowing Zara's dominant nature to take over and spoil their growing friendship, and on the other hand, not going too far and showing that he cares about her and respects her.
It is not surprising that at the end of the fifth chapter she jumps with joy around him when she finds out that he will live in their house for some time. Was it just because of the opportunity to train together? Fuck if I'll buy it. No, that too, it's like a topping in a breadroll, but she's genuinely glad to be in his company and spend time with him.
Would he have achieved such an attitude from her on a purely dark path? I don’t think so, she would still feel insulted and humiliated and would try in every possible way to fight him. But she wouldn’t have accepted a slime from a purely light path either, she would probably have bullied him, if only because she doesn’t respect weaklings.
MC sets boundaries early on, has no qualms about being an asshole when it's needed, but rewards Zara for respecting boundaries and allowing her to play within those boundaries.
This is something that many other games do poorly: they are too straightforward. If they allow the MC to be evil or good, then he is either a complete moron and a sociopath, or he is so sweet, caring and helpful that most girls would puke from such a slime. But female game characters doesn't notice that. Cardboard cunts.