Untucked dress shirts with your school emblem over long skirts, hair tied into a messy ponytail
Walking under the flashing neon signs suspended over streets
Strolling into bustling night markets with oddly charming counterfeits
Tanghulu! Tanghulu!
Seeing live goldfish in tiny globes filled with water, hundreds of them dangling with their keyrings attached to a stand
A cramped little restaurant with a glass wall, the floor hasn't been cleaned in a while, but you can smell their food from miles away
Smelling chou dofu on every street, not knowing where it comes from
The lanterns decorate every street, casting a dim, orange light over the wet concrete
Somehow, there's a store on every street selling incense, joss paper and firecrackers, you wonder how they managed to roast a whole pig without cutting it up.
You're walking home after 11 hours of school, finding yourself frantically pacing around in a brightly lit Seven-Eleven, stepping out after avoiding looking at the cashier, why the hell did you do that?
Taking retreat into an empty mall in a busy part of town, but the manga store, the seamstress, the souvenir shop, and florist are all open, the stores have been running for years, you're one of the only people who regularly enter the building.
Never turn your head unless you know you're safe, just keep walking along with the crowd, the three flames should not be disturbed.
Walking into the quiet, residential areas when the scent of flowers appear in the cold air, you duck and look between your legs, nothing. Just keep walking.
Someone has been walking alongside you under the umbrella, mom had reminded you to not invite anything into the house. You remember to close the umbrella before walking in.
I recalled the best (and interesting) parts of Chinese nightlife, and I really thought this would be an aesthetic, but so far, I'm having trouble finding it. I'm thinking urban hell mixed with traditional and paranormal elements?
