Bird of Paradise • taekook

One

"If you could have one wish, what would it be?"

Taehyung stares at the grinning tall man behind the counter, and squints, "Huh? I thought you were trying to sell me something: shark tooth necklace, flower fridge magnets, or um I dunno-" he flutters his hand at the flickering trinkets surrounding him, "-all this, stuff. What's with the question?"

The tiny store interior is unlit, sunlight slanting through the window by the entrance. Every surface is covered with stands and small shelves and hangers, 90s postcards clamouring for attention next to boxes of Aloha chocolate. Not to be outshone by the merchandises, the salesperson is dressed in a black short sleeve shirt with neon pink flamingos that dance in Taehyung's vision with each blink.

A shrug, and the man responds, "Hey, every sale is meaningful, an exchange of trust. Anyways, back to my question, whatcha looking for in life? Money, fame, eternal youth? What is it?" His arms are splayed over the chipped glass counter, torso leaning towards Taehyung attentively.

Taehyung stutters, and spins the display of seashell bracelets next to him with two fingers, "I - I mean, obviously, those are pretty cliche answers to a cliche question - wait, what is this all about, I'm still confused."

The salesman hums thoughtfully, and pulls back, "Interesting. None of those." He steps away to the other end of the counter, and starts to retract something from underneath, "Just passing by, you said?"

"Yeah. Well..." Taehyung tugs on the strap of his backpack absently, "It's a nice town for tourist like me, right?"

The tall man strides back with a tray in hand, "Maybe. We do welcome almost everyone here at Halaina. Island hospitality, I suppose." Another blinding smile, and Taehyung tugs on the wallet in his pocket instinctively. But the tray in front of him steals his gaze - rings and pendants of various colors and design, glistening in the flimsy white plastic tray.

Dark ruby, mother of pearl, polished silver carved into a blooming rose - objects after objects, dazzling and overwhelming. Taehyung dips his head down, "Pretty..."

"Yes, only the best." The voice next to him turns quiet and distant, "So, what are you looking for?"

Sapphire blue, worn out steel, bronze tarnished by time...

Taehyung's eyes flit and scan, and lands on a gem in the corner. His voice is flat, thoughts a little lost, "Looking for... Not looking for anything, really... peace of mind, I guess, but who has the luxury for that nowadays..."

It's small, a polished rock set on a thin silver ring, Taehyung realizes, as he holds it up to take a closer look. But what piques his interest is the pattern on the rock, a bright stripe of reddish orange cutting through hazy dark green. And one royal blue dot right in the center.

It feels both tropical and old. Like it would have stories to tell, if the right person is listening.

The man behind the counter exclaims softly, "Ah, great choice. Peace of mind, you said."

Taehyung hums, and tries the ring on his index finger, "Unique color. Too bad I'm not a ring person."

"Well, life is full of surprises, isn't it." The man pushes the tray aside, and his dark eyes gleam with excitement, "You know this ring once belonged to King Kamehameha III himself. It's worth a fortune, but you seem like such a nice person, and I feel that we've truly made a connect, you know? So for you, my friend, I'm willing to part with this precious heirloom for - $15.95. Practically a steal, wouldn't you say? But who can put a price on friendship, really. I mean, it would just be cruel to reject such a gesture..."

He arches a brow wistfully, but his fingers graze by the ring on Taehyung's finger. Soft, delicate touch, like saying goodbye to something personal and meaningful.