I might not be a typical VN writer; some referred me as a troll. There are different kind of endings, I tried vary them between routes. The layout of the 4 story lines are quite different, you have probably noticed.
As a developer, I'm slightly amused by your experience. Your second death is just like what the person said on your first death (this wasn't planned, I'm sorry). What the person said was referring to other routes; death is in the corner. The achievement in this bad ending gives a clue on how to get past.
Some choices are obvious, others go by guessing and there are choices where it doesn't matter; just go with what you're curious about. I anticipated players go for replays, so I added a "Skip to" button. In case you didn't save, it immediately skips to the first next choice or unread line.
Since those deaths are high likely to happen, I tried to make the endings appealing with visuals and some commentary. About your definition of "cheap": it took me several days to get the coding right, because there are several possible answer combinations. It's almost like a lottery, but has it's limits. MC's honesty is a confirmation to the reason this person is chasing her.
I'm a veteran in visual novels and haven't considered those that never played it. Saving is crucial, but for those that forget or don't; I tried adding the tools to make gameplay easier.
Thank you for your honest feedback!