diff --git a/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/logic/store.ts b/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/logic/store.ts
index 1ce8a7ae25d..ade5cd387f2 100644
--- a/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/logic/store.ts
+++ b/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/logic/store.ts
@@ -123,6 +123,9 @@ export interface StoreState {
   subagents: SubagentInfo[]
   /** Whether the agents dashboard overlay is open (/agents). */
   dashboard: boolean
+  /** Transient busy indicator (the kaomoji face/verb from `thinking.delta`/`status.update`);
+   *  shown above the composer WHILE a turn runs, cleared on `message.complete`. NOT transcript. */
+  status: string | undefined
 }
 
 const LRU_LIMIT = 1000
@@ -159,7 +162,8 @@ export function createSessionStore() {
     picker: undefined,
     completions: undefined,
     subagents: [],
-    dashboard: false
+    dashboard: false,
+    status: undefined
   })
 
   // Monotonic part id (stable `key` per part so a new tool part below a streaming
@@ -319,6 +323,7 @@ export function createSessionStore() {
         setSkin(event.payload)
         break
       case 'message.start':
+        setState('status', undefined)
         setState(
           produce(draft => {
             draft.messages.push({ role: 'assistant', text: '', parts: [], streaming: true })
@@ -349,9 +354,19 @@ export function createSessionStore() {
             live.streaming = false
           })
         )
+        setState('status', undefined)
         break
-      case 'reasoning.delta':
-      case 'thinking.delta': {
+      // thinking.delta / status.update are the TRANSIENT busy indicator (kaomoji
+      // face/verb) — route them to the status line, NOT the transcript (gotcha: Ink
+      // shows these as a FaceTicker, not message content).
+      case 'thinking.delta':
+      case 'status.update': {
+        const text = event.payload?.text ?? ''
+        if (text) setState('status', text)
+        break
+      }
+      // reasoning.delta is the model's actual reasoning — a (dim) transcript part.
+      case 'reasoning.delta': {
         const text = event.payload?.text ?? ''
         if (!text) break
         setState(
diff --git a/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/test/store.test.ts b/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/test/store.test.ts
index 3249dd2fb6f..89f16375d5a 100644
--- a/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/test/store.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/test/store.test.ts
@@ -118,6 +118,25 @@ describe('session store — ordered parts (Phase 2b)', () => {
     const parts = store.state.messages.at(-1)!.parts ?? []
     expect(parts[0]).toMatchObject({ type: 'reasoning', text: 'thinking hard' })
   })
+
+  test('thinking.delta (kaomoji face) → transient status, NOT a transcript part; complete clears it', () => {
+    const store = createSessionStore()
+    store.apply({ type: 'message.start' })
+    store.apply({ type: 'thinking.delta', payload: { text: '(´･_･`) formulating...' } })
+    expect(store.state.status).toBe('(´･_･`) formulating...')
+    expect(store.state.messages.at(-1)!.parts ?? []).toHaveLength(0) // no reasoning row from the face
+    store.apply({ type: 'message.delta', payload: { text: 'Hi!' } })
+    store.apply({ type: 'message.complete' })
+    expect(store.state.status).toBeUndefined() // cleared when the turn ends
+    // only the real reply text part remains — the face never entered the transcript
+    expect((store.state.messages.at(-1)!.parts ?? []).map(p => p.type)).toEqual(['text'])
+  })
+
+  test('status.update also drives the transient status line', () => {
+    const store = createSessionStore()
+    store.apply({ type: 'status.update', payload: { kind: 'tool', text: 'running terminal…' } })
+    expect(store.state.status).toBe('running terminal…')
+  })
 })
 
 describe('session store — blocking prompts (Phase 3)', () => {
diff --git a/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/view/App.tsx b/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/view/App.tsx
index 43829510465..4dd4468b97d 100644
--- a/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/view/App.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/view/App.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { Pager } from './overlays/pager.tsx'
 import { Picker } from './overlays/picker.tsx'
 import { SessionSwitcher } from './overlays/sessionSwitcher.tsx'
 import { PromptOverlay } from './prompts/promptOverlay.tsx'
+import { StatusLine } from './statusLine.tsx'
 import { Transcript } from './transcript.tsx'
 
 export interface AppProps {
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ export function App(props: AppProps) {
         fallback={
           <>
             <Transcript store={props.store} />
+            <StatusLine store={props.store} />
             <Switch
               fallback={
                 <Composer
diff --git a/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/view/statusLine.tsx b/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/view/statusLine.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..54e02e42a2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui-tui-opentui-v2/src/view/statusLine.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+/**
+ * StatusLine — the transient busy indicator (spec §3 chrome; Ink's FaceTicker).
+ * Shows the kaomoji face/verb from `thinking.delta`/`status.update` WHILE a turn
+ * runs, above the composer; cleared on `message.complete`. This keeps those
+ * transient indicators OUT of the transcript (they used to render as reasoning
+ * rows and linger). Themed, dim. Renders nothing when idle.
+ */
+import { Show } from 'solid-js'
+
+import type { SessionStore } from '../logic/store.ts'
+import { useTheme } from './theme.tsx'
+
+export function StatusLine(props: { store: SessionStore }) {
+  const theme = useTheme()
+  return (
+    <Show when={props.store.state.status}>
+      {status => (
+        <box style={{ flexShrink: 0 }}>
+          <text>
+            <span style={{ fg: theme().color.muted }}>{status()}</span>
+          </text>
+        </box>
+      )}
+    </Show>
+  )
+}