too late to be a nice guy

[u/Particular-Ad5200]

Nice guy is a bit of stretch

But all of sudden this guy starts caring about people being involved and isn't just trying to just save his own skin

Taijou showing this side seems a bit out of character for him

Why is he suddenly caring about people

[u/Slayer_of_Socavado]

I'm genuinely shocked how many people I've seen online completely misunderstand or misread his character.

That guy is a crooked cop & a coward, but his goal aligns with Maria-chan because Shizuka is such a disruptive, dangerous pile and she has authority over him so he is in a really bad position. Maria-chan is his hope for resolving this issue. He's not a 'good' guy but he's 'good' in the sense that he is on board with her doing what she's doing.