suppressed laugh; smile; giggle; chuckle
self-satisfied look; triumphant expression
tending a store; salesperson; sales clerk; shop assistant
the reason is that ...; because
tea-ceremony procedures; skill at serving tea
reaction; recoil; kick; backlash
fall; decline; string apron; ornamental cords hanging from the front of a sumo wrestler's belt; food offering to the gods; leftovers; leaving (one's master's place for home)
scolding; telling-off; rebuke; complaint; grumbling; fault-finding
blood relationship; consanguinity; blood relative
memories; recollections; reminiscence
small theatre; kabuki performed in a small theatre; little performance; short acted scene; act
to jump at the chance; to accept an offer; to show interest in; to accept a proposal
veteran; battle-worn; schooled by adversity in many battles; hard-bitten; rich in experience; very experienced
to pile up; to heap up; to stir up; to enliven; to bring to a climax
to blend (e.g. fact and fiction); to mix; to weave (together)
with gusto; with wild abandon; enthusiastically; energetically
special effects; SFX; tokusatsu; genre of live-action film or television that makes heavy use of practical special effects
even a chance meeting can lead to a deep bond; even a chance meeting is due to the karma of a previous life
luxury; extravagance; treat (i.e. at someone's expense)
delicious; skillful; skilled; expert
high-pressure selling; aggressive peddling; the hard sell; forcing on someone (e.g. kindness)
and yet; even so; nonetheless; for all that
honorable death; death without surrender; honorable defeat; trying but being utterly beaten; being completely rejected when professing one's love
object of romantic interest; potential love interest
usual; normal; long (of time); old; for a long time; for a while
to say enough (as much as required); to say plenty; to say well; to say cleverly; to say often; to say frequently
to speak badly (of); to speak ill (of); to bad-mouth
yearning; longing; aspiration; adoration; admiration
broken into small fragments; smashed to atoms; fragments and splinters; smithereens
to break (into pieces); to smash; to shatter (someone's hopes, confidence, etc.); to crush; to simplify; to make easy to understand
embarrassed; feeling ashamed; feeling awkward
close (e.g. in terms of relationship); intimate
unreliable; undependable; helpless; forlorn; worried; uneasy
to develop a relationship; to build intimacy; to deepen a friendship; to get acquainted
clearly; plainly; distinctly; decisively; flatly; definitely
adviser; someone to consult with; someone to turn to about one's concerns; confidant
paper-thin (difference); razor-thin; very slight
narrow margin; slim margin
to pass; to pass on; to give (something) a miss; to cut it out; to knock off (for the day); to let the matter drop
doubt; question; uncertainty; skepticism; scepticism; suspicion