someone working behind-the-scenes; scene shifter; lady consort (to a high personage)
closing party; closing event of a school, etc. festival
two characters; two letters; (arch.) garlic chives (Allium tuberosum); (arch.) Chinese chives
ordinary; nothing special; nothing to exclaim over
to settle peacefully; to work out peacefully; to come to an amicable solution; to become reconciled
feeling of loneliness; feeling of desolation
to not believe one's ears
class teacher; homeroom teacher; form teacher
(religious) piety; faith; devotion
to boil up; to come to the boil; to arise; to break out; to get excited; to be in uproar
to put on a bold front; to act big; to be unyielding; to act formally; to act stiffly
vortex; maelstrom; whirlpool; (in the middle of a) scandal; controversy; quarrel
off the mark; off base; misdirected; irrelevant
to stop walking; to pause
branch road; forked road; branch; crossroads (of a course of events); turning point; parting of the ways
one person; being alone; being by oneself; being single; being unmarried; by oneself
what kind of; whatever sort of; no matter what; however much
substitution; replacement; shifting; change
to squeeze out; to wring out
what is it (that); the meaning of something; what something is about
it's no big deal; it's no problem; it's nothing to worry about; safe (and sound); all right
not knowing what's what; being unable to make heads or tails
preliminary test or trial; tryout
change again and again; seesaw back and forth; being in a state of flux; backtracking repeatedly
last (i.e. immediately preceding); previous; pre- (e.g. premodern); before; before; earlier
tick-tock; tick-tack; sound of clock
needle; pin; hook; stinger; thorn; hand (e.g. clock, etc.); pointer
to fall and pile up (e.g. snow); to lie thick