Hyouka: The After Story

by Commander Cody CC-2224

This epic work is a continuation of the Hyouka series. Centering primarily around the lives of Oreki Houtarou and Chitanda Eru, this epic saga continues years later after the events of "Hyouka". Originally Published on Archive of our Own on June 1, 2016. Completed on June 6, 2016.

18. Chapter 18

Hyouka – The AfterStory – EPILOGUE – 1

Hyouka – The AfterStory

Project Collaboration by Commander Cody & Maria

Author's Afterword

The "Hyouka Afterstory" had taken me a year and a half to complete. After watching the entire anime, I became filled with an intense desire to see Houtarou and Eru together, and Satoshi and Mayaka together, with all the closure a reader could possibly have. Yonezawa Honobu had left the outcome open-ended; I have come in to resolve the tension…in a believable way.

I had begun the overall outline for this story in the beginning of 2015. School, however, had contributed to further delays, and I put the story on hiatus so that I could concentrate on a novel project of my own; a first book of a trilogy. I had resumed the Afterstory in the summer, but I was forced to put the story on hiatus again when other novel ideas came up in my mind; plus the Fall Semester of 2015 demanded a lot of my time.

When I revisited the Afterstory in 2016, I added further details based on new insights I attained for this project. I regularly use prompts like "Explain" or "Elaborate" to give me reminders on what I should fill in the narrative; reasons for character motivations, why a character feels a certain way, and the rest.

Now this story is finished. It is the culmination of my greatest work of fanfiction, and the first on an anime series I have ever attempted. To take an anime series in the genre of the mystery thriller and continue off on the series was a huge challenge for me, and I had doubts over whether the whole endeavor was worth it, given the extensive effort required. Nevertheless, I persevered.

This work of literature was not one that I could simply release chapter by chapter. Many aspects of this story interconnected; for one thing, events that effect characters in one moment in time effects the characters in a later moment in time, which leads to characters recalling certain memories of a past event. Flashbacks from the anime series play an overarching role in the story when it comes to story themes. This feature pervades the entire anime, and does for my story, too.

There is a lot of character introspection. Beyond the rush to see Houtarou and Eru, and Satoshi and Mayaka happily reunited together, there is so much more to learn about the characters in the way they resolve their own problems; in the way they think and speak about life, love, and growing in maturity.

Thankfully, I had much-appreciated help from my younger sister, Maria, who had gotten acquainted with anime and Japanese culture, and to whom I have dedicated this great, extensive work. She helped me with some insight related to feelings of love that Japanese girls could have, and she helped me to craft romantic moments in a way that would be a little believable in Japanese society, and in a way that reflected some tropes in romance anime.

It is my hope, and my sister's hope, that you have thoroughly enjoyed this work of fanfiction.