Apologies if the game isn't entirely what you expected. The only other comment in this comments section had the answer / explanation you were looking for, and it might have prevented this unfortunate situation if you had seen it in time.
With that said, I am currently phasing out my use of Visual Novel Maker engine, which is the cause of many issues, including the one you are describing here. There are two titles in development, and I do not think they will be out this year, but one of them actually uses Ren'Py. It is my intention to use Ren'Py moving forward, so look forward to upcoming titles.