Bulma twisted around. With his face no longer distorted by the reflection of the glass, she was surprised to find just how shockingly handsome the stranger was. And not just that, but ripped. But his most defining feature was the cloud of attitude around him that practically screamed "I'm an asshole".
Ah, so exactly her type.
"I said, can I help you?"
Bulma started. "Yeah actually. I wanted to ask about this lava lamp."
"It's not a lava lamp you idiot, it's a colony of Namekian jellyfish polyps."
She gasped and spun back to peer at the jellyfish. "These are from Namek? I thought Namek placed stringent regulations on export of native species, especially since they're a principal ingredient in many folk medicines used by Namekian healer-types. All the papers I've read can't find any medical use but do indicate they emit some kind of energy called a Blutz wave and—"
"Tch. Just because it's folk medicine doesn't mean it doesn't work." The blue spheres bounced against the glass as Bulma shifted their container, trying to get a better look at the warming mechanism. A hand grabbed the back of her shirt. "That's fragile! You break it, you bought it."
"Not to worry, I'm good for my word. If I break something, I'll replace it."
He released her shirt but continued to glare at her. "What are you even doing here? You don't look like the customers I normally get."
"What, a citizen can't have an interest in the local economy?" Bulma scoffed, turning her head away from his, narrowing in on the advertisement she had passed coming in. "And what the hell is a Senzu bean?"
"Senzu beans are a ki replenisher. They're also an ingredient used in the traditional medicines you have no respect for."
Oof. Okay, that was deserved. She tried to change the subject. "So then, what do the customers you normally get look like?
He grunted and turned to walk back towards the front of the store, and she noticed his cane for the first time. His right leg was completely immobile, the muscle clearly degraded from lack of use.
He stopped behind a counter and gestured at the wall where countless trophies were displayed. "Mostly martial arts students coming for lessons. Most of the products in this store are used for enhanced training."
"How are you supposed to teach students with your leg all— er…" Bulma knew she had made a mistake.
His eyes narrowed. "I was one of the greatest martial artists in the world before a high voltage taser was used repeatedly on my leg, resulting in permanent nerve damage." He leaned across the counter. "And I could still kick your ass, one leg or two. So, are you going to buy something, or get the fuck out of my store?"
Bulma chewed her lip. She had come here to find inspiration, but so far, she'd only found a man she found frustratingly attractive. And that she couldn't stop offending. Great.
"I'll take one of the Namekian jellyfishes and a Senzu bean."