A great update. I'm not sure I wanna get into specifics as to avoid spoilers, but it was really interesting seeing how Garret acted under those different circumstances, not to mention the flashback, and the bits and pieces of characterization that keep adding to the mystery, with Sharif, June, Joseph, and even the captain by extension, coming off as important pieces of a puzzle... If I were to use a word for it, it would be "intriguing", and definitely "suspenseful". I'm aware the answers may not come anytime soon, but I'm sure they'll be satisfying in one way or another, so I'm eager to read more.
Other than that, I'm impressed by how the whole cast gets enough attention and time to come off as real people, or at the very least characters with plenty of depth. While I personally wasn't looking forward to the scene with Rufus and Aaron, I came out pleasantly surprised to see a side of them that was more nuanced than what had been shown thus far, specially with the himbo, of course. Other than that, I'm also surprised by how well the characers complement each other, whether through conflict or friendship, it feels like you could separate any small group of characters and make them have an interesting interaction, despite the group being relatively big and pretty varied, when compared to most other VN main casts at least.
So, yeah, all in all I enjoyed many things about the update that I feel elevated the feel of the story to the point where I'm sure I won't be putting it down until its conclusion, and I hope more people get to experience it as well!