[truehappiness]

She worked in the idol industry at the time (1995ish) so I don't think that was strange at all (for her)...

It's especially the case with Hello!Project, I think. They basically start out at like 12/13 and are around men and women much older than them constantly.

Seems like it was a "friend of a friend" sort of thing, and with Ayu being the mature teen she was (maybe not, but she's always wanted to become a grown up or w/e), it didn't matter what age someone was if she was going to talk to/hang out with them.

Ayu's side of the story from ALL NIGHT NIPPON in 1999(?) and ROCKIN' ON JAPAN from masa:

Do you know Max Matsuura, being the producer of my works now?
　　(U) Yes.
　　(A) Do you know? I've known the man since I was sixteen.
　　(U) Really?
　　(A) Yes, I've known him for about four years. And when we went to a Karaoke house together, I was told by the man, "You are poor at singing."
　　(U) What?
　　(A) And he said to me, "Poor at singing, but you have a good voice", and "Go to take lessons." I didn't go to school nor do any jobs then. I thought it would not be bad because I had nothing to do, and I took the lessons. Ayu had always been told
"Hamasaki can't do anything." before then, in the senior high school and in the junior high school. I had been told, "Don't do any unwanted things, as you can't do anything." So I didn't go to junior high school often. I barely entered a senior high school but dropped it out. But then, the man, Max Matsuura said to Ayu, "You can." I was neglected in voice trainings and dance lessons and playing hard at that time. I was thinking much of how to play. But he said to Ayu, "You can. You can write lyrics and sing songs", and "I feel something within you." It was for the first time for Ayu to meet such a person. I was never told such a thing even by my parent. I met a person who expected Ayu for the first time and I was shocked very much. And I thought I would do my best, even if the man had made a wrong guess. And as the result of my deed, I managed to come here. I'm here now because I met Max Matsuura, and after that, the present manager and the people around me, that is, the present staff around me. I think I could never do that for myself. So I think White Usagi-chan will surely have such an important encounter. It may be tomorrow, it may be ten years later. And Ayu hope you will not miss the chance.

　(S) And you get tired becaues of that. You were such type, weren't you?
　　(A) I think so. And at that time, I met the producer at Velfarre (a disco club).
　　(S) I know. You are talking about Matsuura-san.
　　(A) Yes. I remember that when he was introduced by someone as the executive director of avex, I greeted another person next to him, as he was apparently so young., and he said, "It's me." The encounter was just like that. And a while later, I met him at a Karaoke house. A little bit lowbrow one. A snuck?
　　(S) I suppose it's a Karaoke bar, with a stage.
　　(A) That's it. You must have a hard time there listening to other guests singing, too.
　　(S) Don't go to such a place. (Laugh)
　　(A) Ahahahaha ! And I met him there. He asked me, "We have met before, haven't we?" and I said, "Ah, yes." I didn't know what was avex then, and I thought he would be a man of high position somehow. I didn't know at all that avex was the record company. I was singing songs at random then, and he began to say, "Sing this song next."
　　(S) Which song did you sing?
　　(A) The songs of Komuro (Tetsuya)-san, as they were very popular then. And he said to me after I sang, "Don't you intend to be a singer?" I answered, "No, I don't."
　　(S) Hahahahaha !
　　(A) Hahahahaha. Because, such a question. You see? Don't you think it was the honest answer?
　　(S) Yes, I think so. (Laugh) In Hamasaki-san's way.
　　(A) I said I didn't intend to be, as I didn't like singing especially and I wasn't confident of singing. And I didn't contact him for quite a while after that. I was asked my phone number then and told it to him. Some messages were recorded in my answering machine, but I forgot his name, and left it alone. I kept on playing at Shibuya and Roppongi as before, But, you know, I got tired of such things, as they were not so fun actually.
　　(S) I'd rather say it as nothingness.
　　(A) Really. When I was seized with such a feeling, he phoned me again. I remember quite well it was when Ayu was walking in the Center St. of Shibuya. I answered, "Hi," walking in the Center St. (Laugh) It was the secretary. She said, "This is XX of avex. I'll put you through to Matsuura." I noticed it was that man. And we were talking as, "It's a long time since we talked last." "Don't you really intend to sing?" "I do. I do. Because I'm free now." "I suppose so. You have nothing to do, don't you?" "Yes." "So go to the voice lessons and the physical training first to develop your strength," said he. I thought, "Oops ! I don't want to go." Actually I was still unwilling to sing then. But about a week later --- I changed my mind again. I thought that just to sing songs wouldn't be so bad, as I had nothing to do. I went to avex so casually, talked with the executive director, and went to the lessons. And, as you would imagine without my words, I stopped going to the lessons soon.

Their stories are somewhat different, I guess, but essentially the same.