And so this story finally comes to a close. Words cannot describe all the mixed feelings I'm having now that I'm here. It's great that I was able to bring closure to this story, but I've had such a great time working on it that I know that I'll miss it dearly. It's been a hell of a ride for all of us, and I'm very happy that all of you are sitting with me. You guys are awesome fans and readers. I appreciate every thing you guys have said, both good and bad.

Anyway, it's time to get this show on the road. Here is the epilogue to Meet the Suzumiyas.

Epilogue

It's hot...really, really hot. There have been times where I secretly wished that I had chosen a different school to live at. A school that had proper air conditioning and wasn't falling apart. A school where I would meet normal people and hang out with them. A school where my life was relatively care free.

But I don't wish for those things anymore...

Why is that? Well, for starters, I had the luxury of having my beautiful girlfriend sitting behind me. Wow...calling her my girlfriend still felt weird. Even after three weeks, I found myself having to pinch my arm just to be sure this wasn't some crazy dream. But yes, it was indeed true. Haruhi and I are officially dating, and it's been pretty good so far. The only really bad point would be the beginning when Oruki delivered his punishment for "suspicion of alcohol consumption." This of course amounts to us being guilty until proven innocent, which was really unfair. He couldn't prove we were drinking (even thought we technically were). In any case, I will abstain from telling you the nature of our punishment, as it was too brutal and horrifying for me to want to remember.

Anyway, the nightmare that was those five memorable weeks before we finally admitted our true feelings was over. Things have finally stabilized, and life with Haruhi and her family has started to feel normal...or about as normal as it could possibly be.

Yep, I'm glad I was able to stay. I'll take the good with the bad.

"So how are things going for you and you know who?"

Speaking of the bad...

"We're fine," I said, trying to eat my lunch.

"Oh I'm sure you're more than fine," teased Taniguchi with an extremely annoying wink. God he pisses me off. "Frankly I'm surprised that it took you this long to finally get with her. I mean, everyone else thought that you two should have hooked up a year ago."

I could care less what other people think of me and Haruhi.

"It's great that things are going well for you two," said Kunikida.

"And to think that Suzumiya's parents actually let you live with them," said Taniguchi with his mouth full. "They must be weirdos to allow that."

Say what you want about them, but they're genuinely decent people...most of the time. It doesn't really please me to hear you bad mouthing them.

"Anyway, all that matters is that you finally have your home situation figured out," said Kunikida.

With that we quietly finished our lunch...

For the most part, the last three weeks went by rather quickly, with only a few things worth noting (other than the obvious ones of Haruhi and I officially dating and that horrible punishment). For one, we soon found a video online of the Brigade confronting James Randi. Haruhi was thoroughly pissed when she saw that the video was titled Morons try to sabotage James Randi. Epic Failure! I was more than a little embarrassed to know that I was online for all the world to see, but luckily my face wasn't shown so there's a small glimmer of hope that this video won't come back to bite me in the ass.

On a more disturbing note, I soon found out what it was that Nagato wanted to talk to me about, and it was not good news. I found out about it when I came into the clubroom during lunch the first day I returned to school...

I found Nagato in the room, reading as usual. I called to her as cheerfully as I could. "Hey Nagato."

She lifted her head and nodded lightly to acknowledge my greeting. "Welcome back."

I took my usual seat, being sure to turn towards her. "Hope this place wasn't lonely without me." She didn't respond to my comment, which meant that there was an awkward silence between us for a minute before I remembered what the bookmark said. "Um...hey Nagato. Remember that bookmark you left in my book at the train station? I was thinking now was a good time for you to tell me whatever it was that you felt we needed to discuss."

After hearing that, Nagato closed her book and set it on her lap. She then stared at me with those cool eyes of hers before speaking. "The matter to which we must discuss concerns you. The fact is that while I was scanning your brain, I discovered something that was troubling."

I began to get nervous when I heard this. Anytime Nagato describes something as troubling, you know it's serious. "What did you find?"

"It appears that a microscopic piece of super-analog data has embedded itself within the confines for your brain."

Super-analog? Where have I heard that...oh no... "You mean...a piece of that...thing we fought in that grocery store...is in my head?"

"Correct," responded Nagato. "It is likely that the particle entered your nasal passage shortly after it was detonated."

Now I was really scared. "Am...am I in danger? Is this thing going to kill me?"

"It is unlikely that you are in any danger," she said reassuringly. "The creature is in a dormant state and cannot sustain itself on your tissues. Previous analysis indicates that it needs cell wall structures to feed on in order to survive and grow. Since human cells lack cell walls, you shouldn't be at any risk."

That was slightly relieving, but the idea of that thing living in my head was still unnerving. "Could you remove it?"

"The only possible way to do so would be to manipulate the data inside your head so that an opening of sufficient size can be made to remove it, and since there's a risk that putting the data back together could result in errors, it could mean that you may suffer brain damage. There is also the risk that removing the cells would give the cells the opportunity to find sustenance and grow. It is likely better to leave them there and monitor your health closely."

"So you can just make them disappear?"

"I cannot. I am not designed to manipulate super-analog data."

I slumped my shoulders upon realizing that these cells in my head were here to stay. I suddenly remembered the time when we put those data lifeforms into my cat. Now that something similar has happened to me, I couldn't help but wonder if this was somehow karma related.

"So...you were going to let me leave knowing this thing was still in my head? What would have happened if it woke up or something?"

"Another interface was going to monitor you at the location you would have lived just in case something went wrong. While I would have preferred to monitor you myself, doing so would have meant leaving Suzumiya-san, which would have made her suspicious."

I sighed heavily. "So why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

"I didn't want to worry you," was her surprising response. It's good that she had my feeling in mind, although I think this time it was probably better if I could have known about it before I almost left this place.

So now I know that something nasty is hiding in my head. Such joy. And knowing that it was created by Haruhi only makes this even more enjoyable. But in any case, it's probably best if I didn't think about it. Nagato said that I should be safe, so I'll go ahead and trust her judgment.

As of right now, I was currently and happily walking home with Haruhi. Of all the things that have happened in the last few weeks, spending time with her has definitely been the best part. Not that it's been easy finding time to spend with her. Oruki's insane house rules had more than put a damper on the romance. I was fortunate that I didn't actually have to be chained up in the basement, but the other rules still stuck. He even started getting down on me for holding her hand. I mean, really? Come on.

Luckily, Haruhi and I have been able to find ways around the restrictions we were on. The rules only stated that we couldn't do anything IN the house. Nothing was mentioned when we were outside and away from it. This meant that more than once Haruhi ended Brigade meetings early in order to have a private conference with yours truly (one of which happened to involve a certain bunny costume, but enough about that). We were even daring enough to try making out on the roof, since technically it wasn't inside the house. Unfortunately, we were caught, and Oruki finally discovered Haruhi's secret hiding place. After arguing for almost an hour on how we technically didn't violate the rules, Oruki put his foot down, stating that ON the house still counts as IN the house (to which I wholeheartedly disagree). In the end, our punishment was the removal of the step we used to get on the roof, which had to be done by me. Fortunately, whenever Oruki had to leave the house for any reason, Naru-san was considerably more lenient on the rules of the house, saying that it was okay "as long as we didn't go too far."

So that just about raps up all of the events of the last few weeks. My life is feeling great overall, and I'm having trouble seeing how anything could go wrong right now. Am I being too optimistic? Perhaps. I'm not usually like this, but how often am I this happy? Oh, and if your wondering if you could trade places with me, sorry, but that offer expired. I know that I didn't specify an expiration date, but you know what? I don't care! Go screw yourself!

"Kyon!"

I was snapped back into reality by the sharp yell of the girl walking next to me. I jumped a bit when she did that. "What?"

"You're zoning out again," said Haruhi, who grabbed my shoulder and shook me a bit. "Cut it out."

"Sorry," I said while scratching the back of my head. "I've had a lot on my mind lately."

"Well just don't let that day-dreaming get in the way of your studies. I worked way too hard getting the both of us caught up for you to screw it up now."

Hey, I worked hard too, you know.

"Don't think that just because we're now together that you can become complacent. Just remember that I'm your Brigade Chief before I'm your girlfriend, and as such, my responsibility is to ensure the success of all my members. Failure will be met with a severe penalty!"

Penalty, huh? What kind?

Haruhi stared at me sharply. "Don't get any weird ideas! I'm being serious! You better get your homework done first thing!" She then blinked for a second, as if she had remembered something. "That's right. I almost forgot to tell you. I'm not coming home with you today."

I raised and eyebrow at her when I heard this. "Really? Where are you going?"

"You remember that boy I told you I occasionally help tutor? Well, he called me yesterday to ask if I could help him. Of course I agreed. I'd feel terrible if he didn't do well in school."

Oh right, the kid who would later discover the secret of time-travel. I wonder how he's doing? I merely nodded as the two of us walked a bit more, just enjoying the feeling of holding each others' hand. Just as we came close to home, she let go and moved in front of me.

"I just want to remind you that you need to make sure not to make any plans a week from now."

Plans? Me? You should know me better by now. What kind of plans do you have?

Haruhi looked at me with mild annoyance. "Come on. You don't know? Tell me what today is."

Today? Well, if I remember correctly, it's June 30th...oh no...That means...

Haruhi's expression turned to sheer excitement. "That right. Tanabata!"

I hung my head upon hearing those words. What was she up to? I wasn't going to have to go back in time again, was I?

"I can't believe a year has gone by already! We didn't do enough for Tanabata last year, so this year we're going to have to put in one hundred times the effort!"

One hundred times! Just what are you planning anyway? Please don't make us do anything that would give your father a reason to kill us!

"Don't worry," said Haruhi while waving her hand forward. "I'm sure he won't kill me."

Not helping...not helping at all...And what do you mean he won't kill you? What about me?!

Haruhi then grabbed me by my tie and pulled me close to her face; close enough for me to smell the sweetness in her breath. "I'll talk with you later today, okay?" And with that, we closed the distance between our lips and gave each other a soft, gentle kiss. Soon after that, she let go and ran off, waving me good bye. Dammit, those lips could probably get me to forgive anything...

I was home a minute later, and I soon placed my bag on the kitchen table, feeling mentally exhausted by the day. I was greeted by Naru-san, who seemed prepared for my arrival by making another one of her accursed energy drinks. "How was school today, Kyon-kun?"

"Exhausting," I said as I pulled my books out to prepare for my homework. As much as I'd love to put this off, I was sure that Haruhi would have a fit if she came back to find that I'd done none of it. I did my best to swallow down the drink as fast as I could, ignoring the taste that made my taste buds scream in agony. I figured that as long as this stuff didn't kill me, it must be good for me, right?

After I did that, I started my homework while Naru-san gave me company by reading a book. I was able to get the first few problems done on my math homework before I brain started screaming for some other kind of stimulation. I eventually gave in and turned to Naru-san to ask her something that had been on my mind for a while.

"Naru-san, if you don't mind me asking, there's been something I've been thinking about for a while."

Naru-san lifted her head from her book, looking a little surprised. "What is it?"

"I've been thinking, during that week before Haruhi and I went on our trip, you knew that your husband wasn't actually planning on kicking me out, didn't you?"

Naru-san smiled before putting her finger to her lips and winking. "Sorry, but I'm not supposed to reveal any secrets." The expression on her face was so incredibly cute that I couldn't help but gawk at her for a second.

A second was all I got before I felt something hit the back of my head. Ow! That hurt! What the hell?!

When I turned towards the source of the pain, I spotted Oruki standing above me, looking somewhat annoyed. "Quit staring at my wife!"

What the hell is wrong with you?! I wasn't staring!

"Sure you weren't," he said as he took a beer out of the fridge. "So when are you moving out, anyway?"

Very funny. I suppose the answer to that is not for a while.

"You think I'm joking," he said as he sat down to my left. "Just remember that I can still kick you out whenever I want." He then shakes his head a bit. "I swear I must be out of my mind to let my daughter's boyfriend live here."

Yes, we get it. You've said that for the fifth time now. Well, if you hate me being here so badly, I could always move away and let you deal with Haruhi's world ending temper tantrums.

He didn't respond right away, instead getting up and sipping his beer. "Just be sure to get your chores done before the end of the day."

Of course, that the agreement, isn't it. Although I have to admit that the chores seemed even more brutal then ever before.

The couple hours went by without anything else to note, at least not until Haruhi came back from tutoring the time-travel kid.

"I'm home!" she screamed with way more excitement than she should be allowed to have.

"Where the hell were you?" asked Oruki while watching a baseball game on TV.

"Helping that one kid down the street with his homework. I don't know why he asks for my help. He more than smart enough to do it himself."

"Maybe he just likes the company," added Naru-san sweetly.

Yeah, I bet he does...and no, I'm not getting jealous of some kid.

"You finish your homework?" asked Haruhi, looking down at my work while putting her bag down.

"Getting there. Ready to do yours?"

"I'm all done," she said. "I did it while I was helping that kid."

Already? How the hell can she do it so fast? And while helping someone else, too. It's so not fair!

It was then that I heard Oruki getting up and yawning. "Now that the games over, it's probably a good idea that I get some exercise!"

I froze the moment he said that. Whenever he mentioned the word exercise, it only meant one thing...I was going with him. I turned towards him and smiled nervously. "Well...you go ahead and enjoy yourself..."

"Don't give me that crap!" he said as he grabbed me by my shirt collar and began to drag me towards the door. "Let's go!"

"Wait! Stop! What about my homework and chores?!"

"You can do them later."

Later?! How am I going to be able to do that?! I usually can barely stand after the torment you call exercise!

"Quit your belly-aching!"

I turned to Naru-san and Haruhi as the both of them moved further away. Can't you two help me?

"Make sure your homework is finished when you get back," said Haruhi heartlessly.

"I'll be sure to have dinner ready when you get back!" said Naru-san cheerfully.

Damn you both! I swear I'll get you both for this! What am I going to do?! Dear reader, remember that offer that I said was expired? Well maybe we can work something out. How about you take my place during all the bad stuff. How does that sound? If you're interested, you can find my number in the phone book!

Oh wait! It's a cellphone! They don't list those in the phone book!

And there we have it. The story is finally over. It's hard to imagine that we've come this far. It could be said that it's the end of an era. However, this story will always hold a special place in my heart, and I hope it does for you, too. I've said this before, and I'll say it again. I am absolutely blown away by this story's popularity. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have imagined that this story would become what it has become. It's all because of the support of you guys that I was able to force myself to write close to 240,000 words of story in less than a year. Thank you!

Oh and a couple things. First, you may be wondering about the dangling plot thread with Yuki telling Kyon about the thing in his head. You might be thinking "Are you doing a sequel?", and my answer to that is...maybe. I have other projects I wish to start working on first before I consider it, but if it turns out that a sequel never comes, you can just safely assume that the super-analog thingy never does anything to Kyon.

The second thing I wanted to mention is a bit of good news. While the official story is now over, I decided that I wanted to add a bonus chapter so badly that I decided to announce it now. The next thing I post will be a bonus chapter about how Oruki and Naru first meet! I look forward to writing it, and I hope you guys look forward to reading it!

That's all I have to say! Leave a review if you wish, although by now I have more than enough of them. See ya!