diff --git a/src/components/student-space/capture/AskSheet.tsx b/src/components/student-space/capture/AskSheet.tsx
index e846e9a..abdde6a 100644
--- a/src/components/student-space/capture/AskSheet.tsx
+++ b/src/components/student-space/capture/AskSheet.tsx
@@ -657,6 +657,16 @@ export function AskSheet() {
     }
   }
 
+  function showPreparedReading() {
+    if (preparedReflection) {
+      setReframe((current) => current ?? preparedToReframe(preparedReflection))
+      setReframeActionMode('ready')
+      setStage('reframe')
+      return
+    }
+    void prepareMirrorDraft()
+  }
+
   function commitCapture(payload: Record<string, unknown>, options: Record<string, unknown> = {}) {
     const entry: Record<string, unknown> = {
       kind: 'ask',
@@ -793,6 +803,7 @@ export function AskSheet() {
   }
 
   function logReview() {
+    if (prepareInFlight) return
     if (preparedReflection) {
       void logPreparedReframe()
       return
@@ -1183,9 +1194,10 @@ export function AskSheet() {
               imageDataUrl={uploadedImageDataUrl}
               reframe={reframe}
               thread={thread}
+              busy={prepareInFlight}
               onDiscard={() => close()}
               onLog={logReview}
-              onReframe={() => void prepareMirrorDraft()}
+              onReframe={showPreparedReading}
             />
           ) : null}
 
@@ -1273,6 +1285,7 @@ function ReviewStage({
   imageDataUrl,
   reframe,
   thread,
+  busy = false,
   onDiscard,
   onLog,
   onReframe,
@@ -1282,6 +1295,7 @@ function ReviewStage({
   imageDataUrl: string | null
   reframe: Reframe | null
   thread: ThreadMessage[]
+  busy?: boolean
   onDiscard: () => void
   onLog: () => void
   onReframe: () => void
@@ -1290,7 +1304,10 @@ function ReviewStage({
     <section className="flex min-h-0 flex-col gap-4">
       <h2 className="m-0 text-xl font-semibold">Here's what you said.</h2>
       <div className="rounded-3xl bg-white/72 p-4 text-base leading-7 text-[rgba(43,38,32,0.82)]">
-        {reviewText || 'Audio recorded. Transcript will appear after Mirror listens.'}
+        <p className="m-0 whitespace-pre-wrap">
+          {reviewText || 'Audio recorded. Transcript will appear after Mirror listens.'}
+        </p>
+        {busy ? <TypingIndicator label="Reading" /> : null}
       </div>
       {imageDataUrl ? (
         <img src={imageDataUrl} alt="" className="max-h-56 rounded-3xl object-cover" />
@@ -1310,8 +1327,9 @@ function ReviewStage({
           {reviewText ? (
             <button
               type="button"
+              disabled={busy}
               onClick={onReframe}
-              className="min-h-12 rounded-full bg-[#f3eee2] px-5 text-sm font-semibold text-[rgba(43,38,32,0.82)]"
+              className="min-h-12 rounded-full bg-[#f3eee2] px-5 text-sm font-semibold text-[rgba(43,38,32,0.82)] disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-45"
             >
               What I heard
             </button>
@@ -1326,8 +1344,9 @@ function ReviewStage({
             </button>
             <button
               type="button"
+              disabled={busy}
               onClick={onLog}
-              className="min-h-11 rounded-full bg-(--color-onb-accent) px-5 text-sm font-semibold text-white"
+              className="min-h-11 rounded-full bg-(--color-onb-accent) px-5 text-sm font-semibold text-white disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-45"
             >
               Log
             </button>
diff --git a/src/components/student-space/onboarding/Greeting.tsx b/src/components/student-space/onboarding/Greeting.tsx
index e91b76f..7d02652 100644
--- a/src/components/student-space/onboarding/Greeting.tsx
+++ b/src/components/student-space/onboarding/Greeting.tsx
@@ -46,13 +46,17 @@ export function Greeting({
       className={cn(
         'absolute inset-0 flex flex-col items-center justify-center',
         'px-6 pt-8 pb-[max(2rem,env(safe-area-inset-bottom))] gap-7',
-        'bg-(--color-onb-bg-cream) text-(--color-onb-ink)',
+        'overflow-hidden bg-transparent text-(--color-onb-ink)',
         'transition-opacity duration-[320ms] ease-out',
         visible ? 'opacity-100' : 'opacity-0',
       )}
       data-testid="onboarding-greeting"
     >
-      <div className="flex max-w-[360px] flex-col items-center gap-3 text-center">
+      <div
+        aria-hidden="true"
+        className="pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 bg-[radial-gradient(circle_at_50%_52%,rgba(250,242,227,0.82),rgba(250,242,227,0.52)_32%,rgba(250,242,227,0.16)_58%,rgba(250,242,227,0)_78%)]"
+      />
+      <div className="relative z-[1] flex max-w-[360px] flex-col items-center gap-3 text-center">
         <h1 className="m-0 font-medium text-[clamp(28px,7vw,36px)]">{hello}</h1>
         <p className="m-0 text-[18px] text-(--color-onb-ink)">{ONBOARDING_COPY.greeting.sub}</p>
         <p className="mx-0 mt-1 mb-0 text-sm italic text-(--color-onb-ink-faint)">
@@ -65,6 +69,7 @@ export function Greeting({
         data-testid="onboarding-greeting-cta"
         onClick={onAdvance}
         className={cn(
+          'relative z-[1]',
           'min-h-[56px] rounded-[14px] border-0 px-[26px] text-base tracking-[0.02em]',
           'cursor-pointer bg-(--color-onb-accent) text-white',
           'shadow-[0_8px_20px_rgba(255,138,92,0.30),0_1px_2px_rgba(43,38,32,0.06)]',
diff --git a/test/components/student-space/capture/capture-stack.test.tsx b/test/components/student-space/capture/capture-stack.test.tsx
index 67d4e09..23a9c99 100644
--- a/test/components/student-space/capture/capture-stack.test.tsx
+++ b/test/components/student-space/capture/capture-stack.test.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // @vitest-environment happy-dom
 
-import { render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { act, render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'
 import type { ReactNode } from 'react'
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
@@ -13,6 +13,16 @@ import { EngineOverlayProvider, useEngineOverlay } from '~/lib/student-space/use
 
 type CaptureEntry = Record<string, unknown> & { id: string }
 
+function deferred<T>() {
+  let resolve!: (value: T) => void
+  let reject!: (reason?: unknown) => void
+  const promise = new Promise<T>((promiseResolve, promiseReject) => {
+    resolve = promiseResolve
+    reject = promiseReject
+  })
+  return { promise, resolve, reject }
+}
+
 function makeCaptures() {
   const subscribers = new Set<(entry: CaptureEntry) => void>()
   const entries: CaptureEntry[] = []
@@ -271,6 +281,93 @@ describe('React capture stack', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  it('keeps realtime Log disabled until prepared reflection is ready', async () => {
+    class MockRTCPeerConnection {}
+    // @ts-expect-error happy-dom does not provide RTCPeerConnection.
+    globalThis.RTCPeerConnection = MockRTCPeerConnection
+    Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'mediaDevices', {
+      configurable: true,
+      value: { getUserMedia: vi.fn() },
+    })
+
+    const prepared = {
+      localCaptureId: 'ask-realtime',
+      transcript: 'realtime transcript',
+      validation: 'That was heard live.',
+      inferredMeaning: 'Voice went through Realtime.',
+      storyReframe: 'Kira heard the Realtime session.',
+      contextType: 'school',
+      transcription: { provider: 'openai_realtime', transcript: 'realtime transcript' },
+    }
+    const stopped = deferred<typeof prepared>()
+    const stop = vi.fn(() => stopped.promise)
+    const createRealtimeMirrorCapture = vi.fn(async (input: Record<string, unknown>) => {
+      const onConversationUpdate = input.onConversationUpdate as
+        | ((message: Record<string, unknown>) => void)
+        | undefined
+      onConversationUpdate?.({
+        id: 'student-1',
+        role: 'student',
+        text: 'Can you hear me?',
+        status: 'final',
+      })
+      return { stop, abort: vi.fn() }
+    })
+    const logPreparedReflection = vi.fn(async () => ({
+      mirrorEntry: {
+        id: 88,
+        transcript: 'realtime transcript',
+        validation: 'That was heard live.',
+        storyReframe: 'Kira heard the Realtime session.',
+        inferredMeaning: 'Voice went through Realtime.',
+        contextType: 'school',
+        reviewStatus: 'confirmed',
+      },
+    }))
+    const prepareReflection = vi.fn(async () => {
+      throw new Error('Realtime reading should be reused instead of prepared again.')
+    })
+    const game = makeGame({
+      state: {
+        backend: { createRealtimeMirrorCapture, logPreparedReflection, prepareReflection },
+      },
+    })
+    renderDirectAsk(game)
+
+    await userEvent.click(screen.getByText('open ask directly'))
+    await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Start voice recording' }))
+    await waitFor(() => expect(createRealtimeMirrorCapture).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1))
+
+    await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Done' }))
+    await waitFor(() => expect(stop).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1))
+    await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByRole('status', { name: 'Reading' })).toBeInTheDocument())
+    expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'What I heard' })).toBeDisabled()
+    const pendingLog = screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Log' })
+    expect(pendingLog).toBeDisabled()
+    await userEvent.click(pendingLog)
+    expect(game.state.captures.add).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(logPreparedReflection).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      stopped.resolve(prepared)
+      await stopped.promise
+    })
+    await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByText('realtime transcript')).toBeInTheDocument())
+    await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Log' })).not.toBeDisabled())
+
+    await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'What I heard' }))
+    expect(prepareReflection).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(screen.getByText(/Kira heard the Realtime session/)).toBeInTheDocument()
+
+    await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Log' }))
+    await waitFor(() => expect(logPreparedReflection).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1))
+    expect(game.state.captures.entries[0]).toMatchObject({
+      text: 'realtime transcript',
+      backendMirrorEntryId: 88,
+      syncStatus: 'synced',
+    })
+  })
+
   it('shows the listening state inside a white You bubble before transcription lands', async () => {
     class MockRTCPeerConnection {}
     // @ts-expect-error happy-dom does not provide RTCPeerConnection.
diff --git a/test/components/student-space/onboarding/OnboardingFlow.test.tsx b/test/components/student-space/onboarding/OnboardingFlow.test.tsx
index ef38622..b112a52 100644
--- a/test/components/student-space/onboarding/OnboardingFlow.test.tsx
+++ b/test/components/student-space/onboarding/OnboardingFlow.test.tsx
@@ -294,6 +294,15 @@ describe('OnboardingFlow (React)', () => {
       expect(await screen.findByRole('heading', { level: 1 })).toHaveTextContent('Hi, Mei.')
     })
 
+    it('keeps the live world visible behind the first greeting screen', async () => {
+      const onboarding = makeOnboarding({ stage: 'greeting' })
+      const game = makeGame({ onboarding })
+      renderFlow(game)
+      const greeting = await screen.findByTestId('onboarding-greeting')
+      expect(greeting.className).toContain('bg-transparent')
+      expect(greeting.className).not.toContain('bg-(--color-onb-bg-cream)')
+    })
+
     it('falls back to "there" when no profile name is available', async () => {
       const onboarding = makeOnboarding({ stage: 'greeting' })
       const game = makeGame({ onboarding, studentName: '' })