Sapporo Salmon Scaling at Magenta Dawn

First light of dawn washes a Sapporo fish counter in an impossible deep magenta sky that bleeds through the open market aisle. A vendor stands beside a slab of crushed ice, their hands moving rhythmically to scale a silver salmon. Thick steam and cooking smoke drift through the cold winter air, clinging to the wet metal surfaces of the counter. The ice glistens with sharp, crystalline edges under the alien violet glow. Frost coats the vendor's woolen cuffs and the wooden crates stacked nearby. Behind the worker, the hanging lanterns cast long, sharp shadows against the tiled floor. One droplet of water slides down the edge of a steel tray, catching the unnatural light. The air is thick with the visible haze of the morning routine.