nagi helps idol!reader score a goal!
as the final notes of your track faded into the roaring stadium, you threw a huge, beaming wave up at the stands. to the thousands of fans packed into the arena and the athletes watching from the sidelines, you practically radiated sunshine.
but as the applause died down and the host called for the ceremonial first kick, all that adrenaline drained away—leaving a cold knot of nerves in its place.
standing by the touchline as the staff set up the targets, you hid your trembling hands behind your back. your throat went dry instantly, that familiar, exhausting spiral of self-doubt taking over.
that paralyzing panic set in—that overwhelming dread that you were about to be exposed. your mind immediately began picking apart the performance, taking a single slightly breathy note from the chorus and blowing it up until the whole set felt like a complete failure.
"everyone heard it. they had to have heard it! what if my voice shook on that last hook? god, i looked so ridiculous out there... and now i'm supposed to kick a ball in front of actual geniuses?! i'm about to completely humiliate myself! they'll realize i'm just some try-hard who doesn't even belong on—"
"hey."
a flat exhausted voice broke through the anxious static in your head. you blinked, turning around to find nagi shuffling over from the team bench.
he didn't seem to care about the flashing cameras or the staff members gesturing wildly for him to get back into position. he just stopped right in front of you, his body completely blocking out the glare of the stadium floodlights.
"nagi?" you whispered, voice cracking slightly. you quickly tried to recover, forcing your eyes to widen cheerfully as you bounced on your heels. "wow, did you actually stay awake for the performance?! was i totally awesome or—"
"stop," nagi mumbled, cutting you off. he reached out and lightly flicked the center of your forehead with his index finger. "you always smile too much when you're stressed out."
nagi let out a tired sigh and dragged a step closer, his body shielding you from the view of the main television cameras.
"what? i'm not stressing!" you shot back, throwing out a quick, dismissive laugh. "i'm fine, nagi, seriously! i'm literally just hyped up for the game. you're sooo seeing things!"
nagi didn't even bother saying a single word, he peered down at you entirely unimpressed. standing there like a wall, he just let the silence hang. the sheer weight of his deadpan gaze was enough to crush whatever resolve you had left.
"okay, fine!" you snapped, deflating as you stared stubbornly at the grass near your sneakers. "i just… i'm stuck in my own head. i mean—look at how many people are watching, nagi! i feel so out of place standing on the same grass as—"
"you're always so dramatic," he interrupted, shutting down your spiral mid-sentence. his hand gently resting on top of your head, the grounding warmth of his palm immediately pulling you out of your spiral.
"you sang well. reo wouldn't shut up about it, and it actually kept me awake. who cares about some stupid free kick anyway? you're a singer, not a striker. if you kick it into the stands, whatever. it’s just a hassle watching you stress over nothing."
with one smooth, languid movement, he tangled his fingers into your hair and gave it an affectionate ruffle.
"just kick it," nagi said, a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk on his face. "if you miss, i'll tell them the wind blew it away."
a genuine laugh escaped you—the knot of nerves finally loosening, completely overpowered by how effortlessly blunt he was.
"you'd really lie to the cameras for me?" you teased, looking up at him as the tension finally left your shoulders.
"not a lie if we both say it happened," nagi muttered, turning around but staying right by your side as the host finally called your name. "just hit the target so we don't hafta deal with it."
before you could even take a step toward the ball, a booming voice echoed from the stadium speakers, cutting through the chatter.
"whoa, hold on a minute! look at the jumbotron, folks!" the main announcer commented, sounding clearly amused. "it looks like the forward of manshine city, nagi seishiro, has abandoned the bench entirely just to give a private coaching session to our lovely guest singer!"
a deafening, "oooooh!" instantly erupted from the stands, followed by a massive wave of cheering and high-pitched screams. you blinked, looking up at the jumbotron just as the live feed zoomed in on the two of you—capturing nagi’s huge hand still resting casually on top of your head.
"nagi, cut it out!" you hissed, your face instantly flaring a bright, burning red. it was an entirely different kind of panic this time. you tried to duck away, but nagi’s hand didn't budge.
nagi stared at you for a second, then reached out and hooked his index finger into the collar of your jersey, casually pulling you along like a stray cat as he walked straight toward the penalty spot.
he stopped right in front of the ball and stepped behind you gently tapping the inside of your ankle with his cleats, lazily nudging your foot a couple of inches to fix your stance.
"aim for the middle," nagi murmured, leaning down until you could feel the faint, ticklish brush of his messy hair against your temple. he let his chin hover just barely above your shoulder, his voice dropping into a comforting whisper. "don't overthink it."
he drew back up, effortlessly blocking the harsh lights and the crowd with his tall frame. hands shoved into his pockets, he let out a soft, low sigh.
"you're fine. i'm right here."
serving up this order – [ check the receipt! ] ⤷ hope i managed to capture ur vision (╥﹏╥)
© 1ix1n 2026 ⸝⸝ pls do not copy or feed my work into ai, ty .ᐟ










