Straight Boys React To “Heated Rivalry” And Fall Hard For Ilya And Shane
A YouTube channel called Nick & Cory is running a watch-along series where they frame themselves as straight guys reacting to Heated Rivalry. Their Episode 4 upload clocks in at about 35 minutes and has already pulled roughly 116,000 views within weeks.
Why people keep clicking.
You’re not only watching the story, you’re watching someone else get dragged into it in real time. And when the hosts openly admit they “were NOT prepared,” that’s basically an invitation for viewers to press play and see what set them off.
The bigger angle behind the reaction trend.
So what happens when two straight mates who don’t sound like the expected audience sit down and commit to a full episode-by-episode run? It turns into a kind of public group chat. Viewers get to relive the big moments, compare their own reactions, and jump into the comments with the energy of, “Wait until you get to the next one.” That loop is a big part of why the Heated Rivalry playlist format keeps growing.
The numbers, briefly.
Third-party tracking sites have this Episode 4 upload dated in January 2026, with view counts landing in the same general range as the YouTube listing and engagement that looks strong for a reaction upload.
We’re not here to gatekeep who “gets” a romance story. If anything, reaction videos like this show how quickly a good plot, chemistry, and pacing can win people over, even when they come in claiming they’re just “watching for laughs.”
