new residential area; new residential development
system of automatic advancement to high school and university without an entrance exam
housewarming gift; housewarming
fatal accident; deadly accident
to hear a rumor; to get wind of
private clinician; physician in private practice
long ago; once upon a time
onigiri; rice ball (often triangular, sometimes with a filling and wrapped in nori)
willow (any tree of genus Salix); weeping willow (Salix babylonica)
women's college; women's university
with a crack; with a smash
legal; from a legal standpoint; legally speaking; de jure
blank column; blank space
to telephone; to make a phone call
Shizuoka prefecture (Chūbu area)
to spoil; to break; to go bad; to go wrong; to fail
whitewashing; glossing over; lip service; deftly finishing up; putting on the final touches
to struggle in the water; to sink below the surface and become unable to breathe; to (nearly) drown; to indulge in; to lose one's head over something; to be addicted
interior (of building, room, vehicle, etc.); interior design
non-stop talking; speaking indiscreetly; chattering; thin; flimsy
pardon me for leaving (first)
(one's) older brother; young man; sonny; lad
to act as an agent for; to intermediate; to announce (someone's arrival); to answer (the door, the phone); to convey (a message)
how long; how far; how much
both sides; two sides; double-sided
to succeed (someone); to take over from; to pick up the torch
to measure; to weigh; to survey; to conjecture; to infer; to surmise
snapping back (at someone); lashing out (despite being in the wrong); counterblast; counteroffensive; backlash
having no idea; having no clue
superficial; apparent; seeming; surface; cosmetic
evening; night; nighttime
surface; face (i.e. the visible side of an object); front (of a building, etc.); obverse side (i.e. "head") of a coin; outside; exterior; appearance
casual; doing something without taking it too seriously