It doesn't imply any DM relationship. An npub is a form of contact information you are asking the app to save. "Follows" is just incorrect
Discussion
"Npubs feed" is nice, but we don't have only feeds, often apps have hybrid features. And a generic, lowest common denominator can be useful, "Contacts seems and appropriate one.
Agreed
I also really like the idea of converting a follow list into a "bookmarked npub list"
So the follow button becomes a bookmark button, and the follow feed would become a "bookmarked npubs feed" but the wording would also make users think about checking on individual npubs one-by-one instead of just conglomerating them in a feed
I wonder what other suggestions people might have too, "follow" is psychological malware imo