Hi there, it's a fair criticism! I would like to note that this demo largely consists of a job interview, and to progress in the story, the player will have to get the job.
I do explain this with some detail in my walkthrough, but I understand not everyone will read or have access to that explanation, so I will put this here as well.
There seems to be a general misunderstanding that approval = how much someone personally likes you. This is not the case. Griffin likes you regardless, but approval indicates how much likely you are to be paired with someone for work. Griffin prefers to be paired with someone who is more outgoing and is actively interested in success. He is aware that, if you're not as interested in a role in the spotlight, you would be better off paired with another team member. That's all.
Believe it or not, I've suffered from severe shyness and anxiety in my real life and it's something I've had to rein in in professional settings in order to succeed. If I lived in the game, I would take many, many hits to my valor. And that's okay! Losing points does not make me a bad person. It does not make you a bad person. It does not make MC a bad person. The points don't determine whether you're a good or a bad person.
There is no real punishment for losing valor points unless you lose a certain amount, at a certain point later in the game. There will be opportunities to recover your valor points. No harm no foul.
I understand and I apologize if my depiction of shyness did not represent you, however, it does represent me and how I've navigated the world. It is NOT a wholly negative thing, even if you feel that is the case. Later on, when the player has gotten the job, shyness and anxiety should have more room to simply be, without being associated with points.
Thank you.