Thank you for taking the time to leave such detailed feedback!
The notes are currently supposed to register when they reach the line, but in hindsight, having them register over the buttons themselves would have been much clearer. That's definitely something we'll look into improving.
We know the two-handed control scheme can take some getting used to. Our intention was to make the player feel like they were actually texting, but a key rebinding option is a great suggestion and would let players choose a setup that's more comfortable for them.
You're also absolutely right about the rhythm gameplay. We weren't fully satisfied with it either, but unfortunately we ran out of time during the jam and had to leave it in a less polished state than we would have liked. Better visual feedback for hits and misses, with more distinct indicators, is something we agree would greatly improve the experience.
Regarding the story, we realized that reading the messages while focusing on the gameplay can be difficult. To help with that, we included the ability to scroll through the conversation after each level so players can still enjoy the story at their own pace. We also added an "unlosable" mode so players can experience the full game even though the current difficulty balance isn't quite where we want it to be.
Thanks again for giving the game a try and for sharing your thoughts. We'd love for you to give it another shot once we've had a chance to improve it after the jam!