JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.1.1.min.js"></script>
<input type="text" class="form-control empty" name="keyword" id="pickup" placeholder="&#xf041;" />
<div id="results"></div>

JavaScript

$(document).ready(function() {
  // This code is to simulate the response of the AJAX call.
  var data = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g'].reduce(function(memo, val) {
    memo += '<a style="cursor:pointer">' + val + '</a>';
    memo += '<br />';
    return memo;
  }, '');
  // This code is analog to the one in the AJAX success callback with the addition of removing the links.
  $("#results").html(data);
  $("#results").slideDown('fast');
  // use `on` as elements are added dynamically
  $("#results").on("click", "a", function() {
    // take `text` of a clicked element and set it as `#pickup` value
    $("#pickup").val($(this).text());
    $("#results").html(this);
  });
});