Good to hear from you again! The issues with the 'On the rails' gameplay have all been resolved going into chapter 4 as other players shared your concern. As for the bugs, the Gallery thing will be looked into as you're right that definitely is a bug, but the lack of hearts with Nicole was intended as not every 'good' or 'bad' decision changes the characters perception of the MC.
Thank you for the feedback, and I hope you stick around for the (eventual) release of Chapter 4!