@Perverteer - Yes, that's exactly what happened. I think the problem was at the beginning, the punishment for lewd behavior is too severe (game over), so it forces you to be too cautious. I didn't even see or click on the relationship icon until late in the game, and by that point there is no way to do anything about it or even access any of the main story arcs. Maybe it just needs a "Bad ending" screen - "You decide to move out and start a new life on your own" sort of thing if you fail to have any relationships by a certain point.
That being said, I started over, and this time I did things MUCH differently and wow... what a difference when you unlock all the characters storylines. Great job particularly on the Bella arc... I'm a sucker for a good tsundere character. ngl, Got me right in the feels a couple times.
ps: I just got to the James conversation... much better.