The Line Between Admiration and Love
Pairing: Niko Ikki x Influencer! Reader
Author's note: Already sleepy when writing this so the writing is a little bit messy but I hope you all like it. Niko my boy is too underrated for his own good!
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It all began with a song.
Niko couldn’t quite remember how he first discovered her channel. Maybe it was just a cover, a soft voice blending with the melody, a simple moment that tugged at something deep inside him. Her voice was calm, genuine, a sound that spoke to him in ways words never could. He hadn’t even noticed her username at first.
But the videos... those stayed with him.
Y/n, a YouTuber who shared music covers and anime vlogs, unknowingly made her mark on Niko’s life. Her videos became his escape. Her laughter, light and easy, filled the gaps between his intense practices. Her voice, smooth and familiar, became a comfort. The sound of plastic rustling as she unboxed another limited-edition figure, her joy as she spoke about her favorite anime characters.
It was all so real, so full of life.
He started looking forward to those short breaks, his phone screen illuminating the moments in between the tension of practice. Sitting on a bench, earbuds in place, he found himself lost in her world, forgetting about the stress for just a few minutes. Her enthusiasm, her happiness... it was infectious. Her joy became his, too.
He found himself following her passions, even picking up little habits. He tried unboxing surprise boxes, just like her. He began to understand her love for figurines, the way they held sentimental value beyond just being collectibles. The more he watched, the more he saw how she lived, how deeply she felt about the things that made her smile.
How small things makes her day better.
Niko had never imagined himself falling in love. His life had always been about goals, about focus. Romance had never been a priority.
And yet, here he was. A fan, an admirer. Just another name in the sea of viewers, watching from the other side of the screen. That was his place. It was harmless, right? A simple appreciation.
He kept the line drawn. Admiration was one thing, but crossing into love? That was a completely different territory.
Then one day, after a grueling practice, Niko found himself scrolling through his feed. A live stream notification from Y/n popped up. He clicked on it without a second thought.
There she was. Y/n, sitting casually in front of her camera, laughing and chatting with her viewers. Her voice was warm, her energy contagious. She was singing a song, her fingers strumming a guitar, when the chat exploded with a comment that caught her attention.
Bluelockidiot: Y/n-san, have you seen the soccer match yesterday? It was Blue Lock against the U-20 National Team! You should check it out!
Niko felt a sudden rush, his heart skipping a beat. The excitement he’d felt when he stepped onto the field echoed in his chest.
Y/n paused mid-song, tilting her head. “Oh? I’ve been hearing about Blue Lock a lot lately. Was that the game with the U-20 team? I haven’t watched it yet…”
The chat quickly flooded with excited messages urging her to watch.
She laughed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Alright, alright, I guess I’ll watch it. But only because you guys won’t stop talking about it.”
The screen shifted, the match starting in real time. Niko’s breath caught in his throat. There he was, on her screen, his world suddenly colliding with hers. She was focused, eyes fixed on the match as the game unfolded before her.
When Nagi scored, she burst out laughing, her eyes widening in awe. “He’s so fast! What the heck?” she exclaimed, her hands clapping together. “That was so clean.”
Niko couldn’t help but smile. Her energy was impossible not to feel.
The play. The pass from Itoshi Sae to Sendou, smooth and dangerous, and there he was-
Niko Ikki, sliding in like a shadow, cutting off the chance before it could even blossom.
It was a fleeting moment. A second in time. But it was enough to catch her off guard.
It was enough to make his mark on her world.
Her hand flew to her mouth, eyes widening in surprise. Her breath caught, a soft “Whoa” slipping from her lips as she watched him.
And for the first time, Niko felt seen. Not just as another player on the field, not just as a piece in the game, but as someone who was seen, someone who amazed a person like her.
For a moment, the world seemed to stand still.
Y/n stayed glued to the screen, her fingers hovering above her keyboard, her gaze never leaving the match. The chat exploded with excitement, but Y/n didn’t rush. She took a deep breath, her voice soft as she spoke to her viewers.
“Okay, okay, let me break it down,” she said, a playful grin tugging at the corners of her lips. “Nagi was insane. His control, his speed- ridiculous. And Reo? The defensive switch-up? Obsessed.”
She hesitated for a second, then looked at the screen, a small, shy smile forming on her face.
“But if I had to pick...” She trailed off, almost as if she were confiding in them, her voice dropping lower. “I think... I like Niko Ikki the most.”
Niko’s breath caught in his throat. His grip tightened on his phone without him even realizing it.
“He’s so... mysterious,” she continued, her voice soft, as if she were choosing her words carefully. “He doesn’t try to be flashy, but he’s always in the right place, doing exactly what’s needed. Like the way he intercepted that pass from Sae? That amazed the hell out of me"
She paused, a small, almost bashful laugh escaping her lips. “I think that’s really cool. The kind of player you wouldn’t expect to stand out... but then, when it counts, they do.”
Niko’s heart raced. He was stunned, speechless. She didn’t know he was watching. She didn’t know he was there, hanging on every word. Yet, in that moment, Y/n had seen him. She saw him as more than just a player—she saw the way he moved, the way he thought. She saw him.
And in that moment, the line he had drawn between admiration and love wavered. The boundary he’d built so carefully was no longer so firm. Because now, in the quiet of his room, holding his phone, Niko realized that this was more than just liking someone from afar.
And for the first time, he understood what it felt like to truly cross that line.
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