How to create custom ITEM status in Magento 2?

We know there’s the ability to create custom status at the order level in M2, but what about custom status at the item level in M2?

The use-case here is that we have a multi-item order

Item A is immediately processed and fulfilled from stock. No need for custom item status.

Item B, however, is not a stock item; it’s a made-to-order item due to the custom nature of the product. As such, we’d like to assign a custom status to item B to track the made-to-order design, manufacturing, and production process.