for the first time in one's life
story; tale; talk; discussion
very; awfully; exceedingly; (not) at all; by no means; simply (cannot)
fluently (speaking a foreign language); incessantly (speaking); glibly; one after the other (flipping through pages); thin (paper, cloth, etc.); flimsy
to teach; to instruct; to tell; to inform; to preach
memory; sense; experience
for the first time; only after ... is it ...; only when ... do you ...; first time; (one's) first
gathering; meeting; assembly; collection; attendance
member; participant; attendee; lineup (sport)
terrific; fierce; terrible; tremendous; dreadful; awful
look (esp. an angry or upset look); expression
to betray; to turn traitor to; to double-cross
will; probably; may; I think; surely; I hope
stealthily; secretly; in secret
to probe; to search; to sound out; to investigate
mutually; with each other; reciprocally; together
suspicion will raise bogies; once you suspect something, everything else will look suspicious; jumping at shadows
to plant; to transplant; to instil (idea, feeling, etc.)
discord; breaking up (e.g. friendship)
tactics; strategy; military operation; naval operation
intention; plan; belief; assumption; estimate; estimation
(not) in the least; (not) at all; (not) a bit
distinction; difference; separate; different; exception; exclusion
to move (house); to transfer (department); to change the target of interest or concern; to elapse (passage of time); to be permeated by a colour or scent; to be infected
to collect (debts); to dun; to appoint; to promote; to emphasize; to focus on
martial arts which involve fighting without weapons; combat sport; one-on-one fighting sport
to gnaw; to nibble; to bite; to dabble in; to have a smattering of
thin arm; slender arm; slender means; meager ability to earn a living
simple; easy; uncomplicated; brief; quick; light
strange; weird; wonder; mystery; cleverness; adroitness
from the beginning; without hesitation; flatly (e.g. refusing); entirely; completely
floor; stage (for the narrator and the shamisen player); dining platform built across a river
to crouch; to squat; to cower
nonsense; irresponsible remark; codswallop; random; haphazard; unsystematic
force; vigor; influence; authority; impetus; momentum
point; tip; head (of a line); front; first; before; (the way) ahead
to thrust (something) into (something); to cram; to plunge into; to charge into; to delve into (a matter); to go into depth; to press (someone) about