The Girl from Yesterday (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Thu gets suspended after getting into a physical fight with Luc, the Physical Education teacher who is in a relationship with Chieu Minh. The exact details of the misunderstanding are not fully explained in the summary, but the fight results in Thu being suspended from school and forces him to rely on his friends Hai and Viet An to help him catch up on his missed schoolwork.

• thu suspension
• thu fight
• luc teacher
• thu expelled

Yes, Viet An is revealed to be Tiểu Li, Thu's childhood friend who moved away years earlier. This is the film's central revelation, which happens on a bridge late in the story. Thu discovers that the girl he has been pursuing in high school is actually the same person he had fond memories of from his childhood, making their reunion feel like destiny.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Thu frequently thinks about his childhood friend Tiểu Li and wonders about the simpler bond they shared, hinting that his feelings for Viet An might be connected to his past.

• viet an is tieu li
• twist reveal
• tiểu li identity

The secret notebook is a keepsake Thu creates after Tiểu Li moves away. It contains records of the time they spent together as children, their playful moments, conversations, and memories. Thu treats it as a precious treasure that reminds him of their innocent childhood bond, and he later shows it to Viet An as a significant part of his life.

• notebook keepsake
• thu memories
• childhood bond
• tieu li notebook

Thu brings Viet An home to show her his secret notebook, but he misinterprets a moment when he sees papers from the notebook being used to make paper boats. Thinking she is wasting the pages, he angrily tells her to leave. Later, Thu realizes the pages were actually blank, unused paper meant as a fresh start, symbolizing new possibilities rather than destruction of his memories.

• paper boats
• notebook misunderstanding
• thu angry
• viet an leaves

Thu learns that Viet An likes candy, so he starts buying sweets for her every day. However, because Viet An is not always alone, he often sees her with her friends Chieu Minh and Hong Hoa, Thu ends up buying treats for all three girls to avoid seeming obvious about his preference. This drains his money but helps him become part of their social circle.

• thu buys candy
• viet an sweets
• chasing girl
• thu money

When Viet An falls ill, Thu volunteers to take notes for her and visits her home to help her catch up on lessons. While caring for Viet An, Thu neglects his own schoolwork. A teacher notices his declining performance and discovers a love poem he wrote for Viet An, reprimanding him for his distracted focus on romance over studies.

• thu grades slip
• thu teacher
• love poem discovered
• viet an sick

Chieu Minh has a heart condition that makes her heart fragile and at risk. Her Physical Education teacher, Luc, who is in a relationship with her, helps by taking her to the city for medical treatment. This subplot adds emotional weight to their romance and shows Luc's dedication to helping her.

• chieu minh heart
• luc treatment
• chieu minh sick
• heart condition

Thu and Tiểu Li are childhood neighbors who spend their days together, sharing playful and sometimes cheeky moments. Tiểu Li is Thu's first close friend and companion, and when her family moves away, he loses that special bond. He clings to the secret notebook as a way to preserve those precious memories, showing how deeply their childhood connection affected him.

• tieu li moves
• thu childhood
• neighbor friend
• first love

Thu's pursuit of Viet An involves multiple efforts, he writes song lyrics in her books, buys her candy, takes notes for her when she is sick, and eventually asks her to the movies. After the teacher discovers his love poem and Viet An scolds him, she still agrees to go to the cinema with him, showing her growing affection. Over time, their relationship develops into an official couple.

• thu viet an dating
• first date
• movie theater
• thu confession