An excellent read! The prose is propulsive, the dialogue feels naturalistic, and the narrative takes a delightfully surprising turn. Furthermore, Face to Face uses the shortform format effectively, allowing the fact that everything ultimately works out pretty conveniently to factor into the haunting ambivalence of the ending. I will not say more to avoid spoilers, but the writing certainly earns my endorsement.
Some have remarked that the unfinished, backgroundless presentation actually fits the story, but I wouldn't go that far myself. What's there is good: the stylized sprites match how archetypical the characters come off as, being recognizable as types of people you meet in high school, and the audio design sells the grounded realism of the story. I think my favorite bit is how the rain loop provides a smooth transition from the title screen to the game proper.
Still, being set in a gray void hurts the atmosphere of the piece. The writing does such a nice job of characterizing the environments with punchy descriptions, but a lot of impact is lost when you can't see any of that reflected on the screen. In particular, I think suitably moody art could make the opening section more foreboding – the genre shift feels very stark now in a sense that could even be dialed back a little.
The game is enjoyable even in its current state. I do hope to see it completed with visuals that match the polish of the rest, but I guess it can have my pre-emptive five stars as a treat.