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When you finish porting it to Unreal, will you release as a separately listed item or replace the files for this version?

That's a hard question to answer really because I'd say it depends on the VN and how you use the "fluff" scenes really. One example that jumps to mind is in Leigh's route. Spoilers for anyone that's not reached it I guess, but at one point he asks you which outfit you prefer of his, A or B and that choice feels meaningless in it's current form, but I feel like even as a bit of fluff it has the potential to have a subtle impact on the main scenario in a small way. For example since this is part thriller, during one of the "thriller" sections we could encounter Leigh but he isn't really Leigh, he's something else that guides us towards a "bad ending" if multiple endings are ever going to be a thing for this VN. The real Leigh could say alter the outfit they wear to suit the one we choose because of their growing interest in Wallace, because we all change and alter ourselves for those we fall in love with, so Leigh choosing to wear what we find more appealing would be a good little tip to tell us if a fake Leigh shows up as part of the thriller part of the experience (I'd also assume there would be others things like things the characters tells us about them).

But I think for now, your best bet is to focus on getting the finished version of the story and base experience you're trying to give us, say as a Version 1, and you can add some fluff in a say Version 2 once the story is complete and even add little connections to make some of the choices we make in the fluff parts actually have a consequence or help us better deal with the consequences when we have some choices to make during those thriller parts. If you notice you write some "fluff" that you don't feel is helpful for the main push of the VN, then just save it on a separate document with all such fluff and see if you can make it work once it's finished. The biggest issue with fluff in a VN like this is when you give us choices that just...do nothing, but if they can be made to do something, in the context of the VN.

I'd even be ok with you removing the multiple routes option (I'm guessing based on the cover art that Oscar is the original "love" interest right?), and maybe adding it later once the stories done if that makes things easier. Personally I prefer the multiple routes but if starting out with one makes it easier on you then do that first. You can always go back and edit it into a multiple route one later, when you feel you can do so.