A Tale of a Thousand Stars: Episode 7 Part 1

This episode starts off with a flashback of Tian reading Torfun’s last page in her notebook about going home. The date on the page raises other flashbacks to when he was in the hospital (same date) and how her Aunt told him about Torfun’s ill fate of being a hit by a car.

Once Tian realizes this, he goes to his computer and searches for Torfun and the car accident online. A page comes up stating that a street race killed a volunteer teacher.

The news article also lists the licence plate matches that of Tian’s car. Tian flashes back to when he was talking with his friends afterwards and how his parents sold his car without telling him and his friends agreeing that his parents did the right thing.

Tian also flashes back to that night, when Tul said that he had a bad feeling about the street race but Tian told him that he had to do it or the other guy would think that he had chickened out. Tian in present flashback calls Tul to ask about what happened that night. We don’t get to hear that though.

Roll those opening credits!

We see that after the fire, Tian was taken to the forest ranger base. He’s still unconscious and Phupha is sitting beside him. Phupha pulls up the blanket to cover Tian a bit more. He then asks Dr. Nam to take care of Tian for him as he has to leave. Dr. Nam tells Phupha not to worry, of course he’ll take good care of Tian.

Dr. Nam is curious though, so he decides to make a phone call. He asks the person on the other end of the line about Tian. The person must ask why because Dr. Nam says that Tian falls sick easily and he wants Tian’s medical records. Dr. Nam gets Tian’s full name, and now knows that Tian’s father is pretty powerful.

Tian wakes up a little while after that, and Dr. Nam quickly comes over to get him a glass of water. Tian drinks it, then Dr. Nam asks him how he is feeling. Tian says that he’s feeling better but his throat is a bit sore.

Dr. Nam tells Tian that he wants to ask him something, so Tian waits expectantly but Dr. Nam can’t bring himself to ask, so he changes his question to ask if Tian is hurt. Tian looks down at himself, his scar is showing a bit before replying no.

Tian asks Dr. Nam about Chief Phupha but Dr. Nam says that he just left after taking care of Tian all night. Dr. Nam tells Tian not to worry about him though as he’s very strong. Just then Tian remembers about the school and asks Dr. Nam about it.

Outside the ruins of the school, Phupha is meeting with some of the villagers. The villagers are convince that someone must have spit on a sacred shrine or something since first a kid almost drowns, now the school has burned down.

Phupha doesn’t buy that though given what else has been going on lately. Phupha starts to investigate the ruins and ends up finding evidence of arson. He quickly tells the villagers that there’s no supernatural cause for the fire, but a very human one.

Phupha returns to the forest ranger base to find Tian awake and at the table. Tian promptly asks him about the school. Phupha sits down and tells Tian that some parts of the school burned down and that the most damaged parts were where the tea sachets were stored.

Tian calls himself a troublemaker. He says that first he makes a kid drown, then he causes trouble for the village and now he damages their assets. Tian tells Phupha that he doesn’t deserve to be anything or even in the village.

Phupha tells Tian that he’s allowed to feel guilty but not to blame himself for what happened. Tian calls himself a jinx. Phupha snorts then tells Tian that it’s not about bad luck, the fire was caused by arson. Phupha tells Tian that he found a fuel tin at the scene.

Tian asks if it’s Mr. Sakda’s people. Phupha doesn’t respond, which leads Tian to the conclusion that if he wasn’t there then the village wouldn’t be facing these difficulties. Tian also says that then Phupha wouldn’t have to take care of him. Phupha tells Tian that he is happy to take care of him and it’s his duty to do so.

Phupha reaches out to touch Tian’s face to find out if he still has a fever. He’s relived when he finds out that Tian is okay now. Phupha tells Tian not to beat himself up over this and to eat something. Tian then asks Phupha to take him home.

After Tian has been taken home, Phupha comes back to the forest ranger base. Dr. Nam is waiting for him and asks for updates. Phupha tells him that he left the arson evidence with the inspector and was told that people would be sent to investigate.

Dr. Nam asks Phupha if he thinks that this may have been caused by the conflict between Tian and Mr. Sakda. Phupha tells Dr. Nam that’s exactly why he’s involving the police in this matter.

Dr. Nam then asks how Tian is holding up. Phupha says that he just gave Tian a life home. Dr. Nam decides to ask Phupha if he knows anything about Tian. Phupha is a little confused and asks Dr. Nam to clarify what he means. Dr. Nam asks if he knows about Tian’s family or background.

Phupha tells Dr. Nam that the way he’s asking is very suspicious. Dr. Nam says he’s just wondering since Tian is so vulnerable physically, why would he teach in the village? Phupha says that he only knows what’s in the file that the foundation sent over. Phupha then tells Dr. Nam that he’s going to get some rest, and heads to his cot.

Tian goes to check out the school.

It’s not quite as bad as it looked earlier. Tian tells Longtae that he can’t believe that people would go this far. If they were mad or hated him, they should have only targeted him, it makes him very pissed off. Longtae advises Tian to let the police handle the situation.

Tian tells him that the other day, he felt so proud of himself and now he just feels so worthless. Tian says that he feels bad for the villagers since they have to suffer because of him. Longtae tells him not to think like that since he knows Tian has good intentions.

Tian says that if he stays, something more serious could happen to the village. Longtae tries to break him out of this thinking, but Tian tells him that he’s a troublemaker to this place and that Longtae can never understand how he feels.

Longtae says that if Tian leaves, he will be abandoning them. Tian tells him that if he stays and more troubles happen, he won’t be able to live with himself. Longtae asks if that means Tian will really leave. Tian says that he has go back to Bangkok.

Tian heads home and is in the middle of packing up when Phupha stops by. Phupha tells Tian that Longtae told him about Tian’s decision to return to Bangkok. Tian confirms that this is true. Phupha asks him to at least calm down first.

Tian tells him that it’s the best thing he can do to take responsibility for what happened.

Tian leaves the room with backpack and goes to get the shirts hanging up outside to dry. He lingers over the forest ranger t-shirt before handing it back to Phupha. Phupha asks Tian if this isn’t just running away from the problem.

Tian says that he doesn’t care how Phupha sees it, just tells him not to try and talk him out of leaving. Phupha sighs (he sighs a lot in this show) then tries a different tactic. He tells Tian that he wasn’t trying to change his mind and will happily see him off. That doesn’t work either since Tian just thanks him and continues packing.

Phupha grabs the bag out of Tian’s hands and tells him that he knows it’s dangerous and Tian may be under threats. So Phupha suggests that Tian come and live with him instead of leaving. Tian is confused about this turnaround in behaviour but it looks like this last ploy by Phupha works.

That’s the end of Episode 7 part 1!