The Second Slap
Just as Marichi's hand was about to snatch the guitar from Liza Voss—
Julian D'Aurelius suddenly stepped forward.
His expression remained calm, almost indifferent, as if the scene in front of him was nothing more than a mildly annoying interruption to an otherwise pleasant day.
His movement was swift.
Clean.
SLAP!
His palm struck Marichi's face with a loud, crisp sound that echoed across the quiet interior of the Melodic Sea music store.
For a moment, everything froze.
Marichi staggered back two steps, one hand clutching her cheek. Her burgundy hair fell across her face as she stared at Julian with wide, stunned eyes.
The entire store seemed to fall silent.
The customers.
The staff.
Even the faint background music had become irrelevant.
Her mind struggled to process what had just happened.
She… had been slapped?
By a stranger?
But the shock only lasted a moment.
The next second, rage flooded her face.
"You—!"
