Fanfic Excellence Achieved
This fanfiction had what I was looking for. It tied together several plotlines from different routes in the VN quite expertly, and gave me a feeling of closure without finality. This is good, because while the ending of Hanako's route was nice, it was rather abrupt, and she develops more in Lilly's plotline. This continuation of the route fixes these issues, as well as other things like Hisao's lack of exercise and interest in science in non-Emi routes. This is just a matter of personal taste, but I like that this fanfiction didn't jump too far into the future. Definite endings, like the ones in Mehkanik's Epilogue series, depress me. This story had a great balance and let me remove the painful headcanon from the aforementioned epilogue and replace it with something nicer.
Fanfic Home run through and through
I myself have wondered if it was possible to combine the plot lines from several paths into a coherent story. This is my answer: Yes, it was. Same events, different lead ups and original ideas make this a home run. Barring the sex (due to my own weird thoughts and is in no way implying any shortcomings on the author's part), I've enjoyed the trip, finishing the series in one go. In one swop, 4 main characters had things going for them in the way they wanted. The "People, nothing more, nothing less" maxim came back to me. They fought the good fight, and came out better for it. Kudos.
Fanfic A Definite Must-Read
Let me say, first off, that my favorite routes were Shizune's and Lilly's, equally. Hanako's route and Emi's route were tied for third.
I agree with the majority of the fandom when I say that Hanako's route ended quite abruptly, and this fanfic (both the original and its remake) did extremely well, not only in tying up loose ends in Hanako's route, but in resolving the conflicts in the Satou family and giving room for all the characters in the story to grow.
All the characters are developed beautifully and the characters' perspectives are realistic, down-to-earth and immersive. The world in this story expands the KS universe naturally and artistically. The author has also done their research about Scotland and its history, which is no small feat for a fanfic.
The author has also done extremely well (in this troper's opinion) in demonstrating the thought processes of someone with anxiety disorders and depression. As someone who has both, it struck a chord with me personally. I may not have been in Hanako's exact situation, but I know the feelings all too well.
All in all, I cannot recommend this fic enough. It made me feel the emotions as if I were the person in the chapter's perspective. It was heartwarming, saddening, and tear-jerking (both in joy and sadness).
It's a rollercoaster ride (I power-read through the remake over the course of two days), and I'm not ashamed to admit I choked up at the end. It felt like the script from a visual novel all its own, and, for any Hanako fan, this is definitely worth reading. At least once.