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Hush Hush is a game about getting bitches.

More specifically, it's a game about trying to save five different girls from various secrets they're carrying. Unlike most games in this genre, you're expected to do all their routes at the same time, rather than pick one and go for it- in fact, neglecting any of the girls will lead to a bad ending. You're meant to befriend them all and possibly date them all at the same time. So, what's the deal with that? Are you five-timing them? Are you in an open relationship with them?

Well... it's a bit complicated to answer.

Open relationships do seem generally frowned upon in this game; a couple antagonists threaten the protag to reveal their other relationships to the girls they're dating. But at the same time, there are characters other than the protagonist who are around getting bitches (Lotus flirts with folks at the café even when she says she's already scoring dates. Her brother offhandedly mentions that his girlfriend has a bunch of other boyfriends.) And whenever one of girls learn about your relationship with others, it's usually less "how dare you have relationships aside from me" and more "I feel left out because I'm (not getting action/not your specialest little one/don't feel like I'm part of your poycule."

One reading could be that this world has a very casual hookup culture. While you (and other characters) are going around kissing, whispering sweet words and fucking, there's a difference between "casual fling" and "committed relationship" (the latter of which I... can't actually think any exemple for in this game.) I mean, some of these girls have sex scenes on their first date, where I presume your relationship with them is more "that fun guy I just met" rather than "my beloved fated on chosen by the goddesses." And just like in real life, which hookup culture is perfectly accepted by the people in it, conservative bitches will tell you you're a slut or whatnot for indulging in it. (Which would check out with the way Mio's relationship with sex work is portrayed; many, many people hate her for her work while also loving said work. People are weird and contradictory when sex is involved!) That would also check out with the ending of that game, where your character just... leaves the girls behind and goes back to their previous life. It's a game about making friends and helping them out, it's just that you can also fuck your friends if you want.

Another reading could be that your quest takes you specifically to the queer-friendly side of the city, but that doesn't mean that being queer is the norm here. Eli is a genderfluid character who is very open about it and generally accepted by folks, but they do mention that some people had been bitches about it in the past (and that they'd had friction with their father about it.) Maybe polyamory is seen very much in the same way: something most of the people you happen to be interacting with are okay with (again, they don't take offense to you seeing other people, usually they take offense to you not seeing them) but which is not universally approved of either, hence why some still level it up as a threat to you.

Either way, it is both fascinating and very pleasing to see!