recently; lately; these days; nearest; closest
coworker; co-worker; colleague; associate
customer; client; client company; business connection; trade partner
(company) director; executive; top management; important post; role with heavy responsibilities
chunk; lump; thick slice; cutting into chunks
to connect; to tie; to fasten; to transfer (phone call)
busy; hectic; frantic; restless; hurried; fidgety
ghost; apparition; goblin; monster; something unusually large
ghost; specter; spectre; apparition; phantom
gray or silver haired (grey)
grunt; grumble; pimples; spots; cutting into small pieces; simmering
smelling of fish; fishy; degenerate (of a monk); depraved; worldly; mundane
splendid; fine; praiseworthy; creditable; legal; legitimate
somehow; how; in what way; why; what kind of
to go; to come; to be defeated; to collapse; to be annoyed; to be nonplussed
to have gooseflesh (e.g. from cold or horror)
softly; mildly; gently; politely
transactions; dealings; business
role; assignment; position (of responsibility); post; part (in a play, film, etc.); role
to act as an intermediary; to step in; to come between; to intervene; to interject
office worker; company employee; company man; salaryman (stereotypical Japanese office worker)
to digest; to break down; to break to pieces; to be able to use; to be good at; to finish; to complete
to quit one's job; to resign
somehow; somewhat; seemingly
change; variation; variety; diversity; inflection; declension
smooth (of a surface); glassy; smooth (of an action, proceedings, etc.); fluent (speech); continuously differentiable
glasses; eyeglasses; spectacles; judgment; judgement; discrimination
muddiness; murkiness; impurity; Japanese voiced consonant mark; unrefined sake
to begin (doing); to start (doing)
all; completely; totally; entirely; thoroughly
gallant; brave; imposing; awe-inspiring; severe; biting
even; (if) only; just; besides; on top of that
to be still half asleep; to be half awake; to be not yet quite awake
optical illusion; hallucination; misapprehension; delusion
able; capable; competent; talented; efficient
appearance; shape; form; atmosphere; look; feel
transfiguration; transformation; change of appearance
not necessarily; not entirely; not altogether
release; unleashing; liberation; deallocation (of computer memory)
now (esp. in contrast to the past); now at last; at present; right now
grateful; thankful; welcome; appreciated; evoking gratitude
difficult situation; adverse circumstances; predicament; trouble; dilemma; distress