>>280756396
I think that kind of relationship is good for them too. But I still hold out hope for romance. Part of her certainly wants that connection. And Kyon would be best for her as someone that understands her well.
But romance or not, she definitely has a special connection to him that’s different from any of the other girls. His caring nature towards her, and how he always tries to understand her better is my favorite part of the series.
So him being with Haruhi romantically won’t feel like she lost or anything. She’ll always have something from Kyon that Haruhi doesn’t.

Rereading post-Disappearance volumes makes it clearer how much of a shame it was that season 3 never happened. Was it really because of the Aya Hirano thing?
Also, if you’ve only watched the anime, you should read Love At First Sight from volume 6. It’s a great follow up to the movie.