The night had already grown late. From the direction of Chinatown Square, the clamor of gongs, drums, and suona horns still drifted faintly through the air, making the road toward the subway station seem especially quiet.
The lanterns lining both sides of the street had long since lit up one after another. Their warm red glow spilled across the stone-paved road, adding a faint blush to the bluish ground.
Farther away, some dumpling stalls and ramen shops were still open. As the night breeze passed by, it carried the faint, comforting fragrance of noodles.
A vendor selling candied chestnuts pushed his cart along at an unhurried pace. The chestnuts tumbled amid the gravel in the iron pan, their sweet, toasted aroma drifting along with the wind.
Kitasan Black, Almond Eye, and Spring and Autumn Equinox walked side by side down the street toward the subway station, their shadows stretching and shrinking beneath the streetlights.
Kitasan Black still had an excited look on her face. As she walked, she gestured animatedly. "...The lion dance was definitely the most fun part of today, right? I never knew it could be so much fun inside the lion's head. No wonder Crown-chan had been thinking about it nonstop. "Oh, right! I'll tell Crown-chan as soon as I get back. She'll definitely be green with envy! "Hehe, she's been talking about it forever, but she's never run into an event like this before. She's definitely going to be upset."
"That's a little mean, Senpai."
Almond Eye joked with a smile, her eyes sparkling. "But Senpai and Little Bun were really, really, really amazing! "Senpai threw Little Bun way up high, Little Bun grabbed the Cai Qing in one go, and then Senpai caught Little Bun steadily before landing... "Every move was super, super cool! It