Liked this a lot! It's interesting to think about that, in contrast, I just went right for the photo (after exploring the room for hidden stuff and story events and such). Partly it's because when I'm invested I can't wait to unlock more story (even if it's rough or sad, I can't even turn off a crappy movie or show if I've been watching it for a time because I have to know what happens) but also...it's because a big part of what makes me anxious is about "not knowing", if that makes sense? Like I'd rather know if someone is mad/disappointed/etc. rather than have that tension on my mind. I think that kinda translates into "well I just want to find out what's going on and rip the band-aid off" rather than wait and have it hang in the air. Before your post, I didn't think about how that kind of outlook changes how I'd approach a story beat like this.

Also, great insightful thoughts about the manga! Reminds me of the Yume Nikki manga, which opted to add a lot more lore to the YN universe when changing mediums.