preparations; preliminary arrangements; spade work; mise en place; groundwork
sudden; abrupt; unexpected; unforeseen
encounter; running into; meeting with (e.g. an accident); being confronted with (e.g. a difficulty)
possibility; chance; potential; potentiality; possibility (modal property of a proposition containing no logical contradiction)
exclusion; removal; elimination; clearing away; getting rid of
perfect; complete; flawless
(if) by some chance; by some possibility; in the unlikely event that; (unlikely event of) emergency; the worst(-case scenario)
to be affected by another's misfortune; to get caught up in trouble not of one's own making
password; watchword; motto; slogan
point; tip; head (of a line); front; first; before; (the way) ahead
going straight to the point; cutting it short; as it turns out
adaptation; accommodation; conforming; acclimatization; acclimatisation
as expected; just as one thought; as feared; sure enough
convenient; handy; useful
direction; district; area; field (e.g. of study); sphere; quarter
grounding (in a skill or subject); knowledge; training; achievements; attainments; accomplishments
to melt into; to dissolve into; to merge into; to blend into (surroundings); to fit in; to adapt to
to avenge (someone) by striking down their killer
to permeate (of a stain, smell, etc.); to become ingrained; to become embedded; to become a deeply ingrained habit; to become second nature
change for the better; improvement; looking better (than before)
scenery; scene; landscape
branch road; forked road; branch; crossroads (of a course of events); turning point; parting of the ways
to bend many times; to turn and twist; to zigzag
direct unforked road; straight path
to bend; to curve; to turn; to be awry; to be askew
to stop up; to close up; to stand in the way; to obstruct; to occupy; to fill up
(sense of) sight; eyesight; vision
dot; spot; mark (in an exam, etc.); grade; point (in a game); score; point
faint; dim; weak; poor; wretched; meagre
oscillation; vibration; swing (e.g. of a pendulum)
notice or order handed down from above; announcement; notification; Edo-period proclamation issued by the shogunate (or a daimyo, etc.) to the concerned parties
upright; honest; faithful; conscientious; sincere
to go against; to oppose; to disobey; to defy
coward; sissy; weakling; loser; milquetoast; good-for-nothing
being painfully true (e.g. reprimand); making one's ears burn; striking home (e.g. remark); having an earache; feeling pain in one's ear
just like that; quite so; I agree; that street
to talk back; to answer back; to retort; to say over; to repeat (what one has said)
to challenge (esp. in a lawsuit); to take on an opponent (in negotiations, contest, etc.)
to find; to discover; to come across; to be used to seeing; to be familiar with
clue; lead; key; handhold; hold
to shoot (a gun, person, etc.); to fire