victory or defeat; match; contest; game
early (days); initial stage; initial
transactions; dealings; business
deep blue; bright blue; ghastly pale; pallid; white as a sheet
yakuza; gangster; mobster; useless; worthless; good-for-nothing
happiness; blessedness; luck; luckily; fortunately
stinging; smarting; on edge; nervous; ripping; peeling
faint; dim; weak; poor; wretched; meagre
to sparkle; to glitter; to twinkle
reissue; putting back in print
secondhand book; ancient book; antiquarian books
glance; look; glimpse; complete view; bird's-eye view
sudden; abrupt; unexpected
bill (at a restaurant); check
address (e.g. of house); residence; domicile
contacting; (making) contact; connection (with a train, bus, etc.); joining (a railway line, etc.); connection (between matters, incidents, etc.); relation
to be stunned; to be surprised; (lit.) one's eyes turn into dots (like a cartoon character)
way of asking; way of listening; listener
please; kindly; by all means; certainly; here you are; to give
unconcernedly; nonchalantly; shamelessly; brazenly
each time; always; often; thank you for your continued patronage
contest; comparison; competition
to press against; to push against; to force against; to foist on (task, responsibility); to impose (one's will)
(confronting a problem, etc.) head-on; directly; outright; (lit.) from the front
almost; roughly; approximately
staringly; fixedly; unblinkingly
unruly (e.g. of a child); unyielding; disobedient; strong-willed
natural; understandable; reasonable; no wonder
to return (something); to restore; to turn over; to turn upside down; to pay back; to retaliate; to respond (with)
to rock; to shake; to swing
government office; agency; board
to cherish; to treasure; to prize; to take good care of; to look after
to curse; to cast a spell; to haunt; to cause a bad result; to bring about a negative outcome
to want; to wish for; to request; to demand; to seek; to search for